Come Back Running -AU, Sequel to The Reason
by JediKnightCaraD
Summary: Much has changed in the ten years since the death of Chancellor Palpatine. The Jedi Code has been altered, the last of Separatists are long gone, and the twins of the famous Anakin Skywalker have grown strong in the Force. Their future seems assured. But the Skywalkers have yet to face their greatest adversary...
1. Competition

The Youngling stood in a ready stance, feet wide, arms loose, hilt held high as the weapon in his hands hummed with a musical tone. He was taking a short respite from the battle at hand to catch his breath. It was more for his opponent than anyone else.

Jedi could be any species, but this one happened to be human. Some would call him cute with long eyelashes and a distinctive dimple in his chin that promised to grow into a cleft when the boy hit puberty. He also possessed thick blond hair cropped close to his head and striking blue eyes.

The boy grinned. Swordsmanship was easily his favorite class. At nearly twelve he was a quick study with the blade. Modesty forbid him from admitting he was the best in his class. Lean, alert, and compactly built, his greatest assets were speed and courage; the latter often dipping into recklessness. His narrow Padawan braid hung askew as he observed his opponent. "Had enough?" he taunted playfully.

The girl that he was sparring with didn't smile back. While matched to the blond boy in age, she was not handling this as easily. The workout had left her quite winded. Despite being tied back into a half ponytail, several strands of thick, shoulder length brown hair had come loose and hung in front of her determined brown eyes. She was almost glaring at him as she leapt forward to press the attack again. "You wish," she panted, swinging for the boy's neck.

The boy frowned as he easily parried the attacks to right arm and left leg. _Does she have to look so serious?_ They weren't really fighting, after all. They were training. Of course he knew he outmatched his opponent in skill, and that might have had her upset. His dueling partner wasn't exactly the worst...but she wasn't even average. This was a hard fight for her. He was hardly even sweating. "Come on," he urged as he jumped up to avoid the saber swinging low at his feet. "Just give up this time. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." grunted the girl. She wheeled to the left to avoid one slash, ducked another, and brought her blade around to try and catch the boy in his ribs.

Easily the youth parried the blow and spun around to knock the hilt out of the girl's hands and bring his saber close to her throat. "Gotcha."

The girl growled in frustration and looked about. Garris Calon, a silver-haired saber instructor, was doing nothing but leaning against the wall while the rest of the students sat cross-legged to watch. The spar didn't end until someone gave up or landed a mark of contact. No one more than Master Calon stuck so firmly to these rules. Determined not to lose again, she spotted the dropped hilt out of the corner of her eye and took a deep breath to reach for the Force.

"Give up?" The boy saw what his opponent was doing and grimaced. He knew it wasn't going to work and wanted to avoid landing a mark of contact. It was so much easier on both of them when the other student just surrendered. These were only practice sabers, but they could still leave painful burns. "Please?"

Her hilt wasn't moving fast enough to reach her fingers in time. So the girl answered by dodging to the right and ducking, reaching out with her leg to trip her opponent. She was rewarded for her ingenuity when the boy twirled his blade down and caught her on the shoulder. The girl yelped and stumbled backwards to land on her rear. The blade of blue plasma pointed square at her chest. She groaned at her defeat. "Not again."

"Victory to Skywalker," announced the instructor without ceremony. He let his arms drop and nodded to the boy. "Well done, young Luke."

Luke Skywalker acknowledged with respectful bow. "Thank you, Master Calon." He grimaced as he brought his saber up in salute before deactivating it. He hated winning like this, especially against his twin sister.

Master Calon nodded back to Luke in turn, then turned to the downed girl. "Bravely fought, Leia. Work a bit more on your footwork; be more spontaneous with your attacks."

Leia nodded miserably, hand on her shoulder. The burn stung less than her defeat at the hands of her brother did. "Yes, Master." She found Luke standing next to her and rolled her eyes. Losing to her brother was twice as embarrassing when he didn't rub it in. Anyone else couldn't resist just a little bit of gloating in defeating the daughter of the great Anakin Skywalker...though there wasn't really much to gloat about.

For Luke it brought mixed feelings. He was highly competitive and loved being the best at lightsaber practice. But beating Leia was no fun; it wasn't a challenge, and she was so stubborn that the duel never ended until the blade touched her skin. "Sorry. You okay?"Luke asked meekly as he held out his hand.

Leia rose by herself and nodded. "Of course I am. I'm just tired of losing to everyone all the time...especially you." She nudged him with her elbow and got into line to turn in the practice saber.

Luke shrugged. "I know. I wish they wouldn't match us against each other."

"I know. She isn't nearly enough of a challenge," put in Derik Andress with a wicked glint in his green eyes. The freckled redhead stood just ahead of Luke in line and threw a smirk toward the twins. "Admit it, Skywalker. That was too easy. You aren't even breathing hard."

Luke frowned. Derik was easily the tallest Youngling in Hawkbat Clan, and probably the tallest in the entire Temple...other than Sallakeff the Wookiee. Unfortunately Derik was also the one with the loudest mouth. "I just don't like fighting my sister."

"Come on. Everyone knows she's the worst saber duelist in the Temple," taunted Derik.

"She is not," glared Luke.

Leia came up from behind and crossed her arms. "Why don't you tell me what you think instead of hiding behind my brother?"

Derik shot the girl a wicked grin. "Who's hiding? You're the one who can hardly pass the afternoon workouts. And you're the slowest in telekinesis. You might as well just sign up for Agri-Corps now and get it over with."

Leia's cheeks flushed red and her eyes stung. Derik wasn't exaggerating. She did have trouble with swordsmanship and telekinesis. Being sent away from the Temple because she wasn't up to the standards was one of her greatest fears. Hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Before his sister had a chance to blow a fuse, Luke stepped in between them. "Go fuse your mouth. The Council would never do that."

"Oh, right. 'Cause the great Anakin Skywalker is the 'Chosen One'." Derik rolled his eyes. "Why not? It's the only reason you got into the Temple in the first place. Kill a Sith Lord, get a free pass for you and your kids."

An uneasy hush fell over the class as everyone turned to stare at Derik. All knew of the defeat of Darth Sidious, the departure of Anakin Skywalker, his forbidden marriage, and his subsequent readmission into the Order. It was the biggest source of controversy in the Temple. Not all agreed with the Council's decision, and some were more vocal about it than others.

Both Luke and Leia flinched at the accusation. "That is not true!" exclaimed Leia, taking a step forward with anger flashing in her brown eyes.

Luke nodded. "The Council took us because we're strong with the Force, just like every one of you."

"And don't you dare say those things about our father. He's a great Jedi!" exclaimed Leia with a reddening face.

"The greatest who ever lived," added Luke.

"He broke the old Code and left the Order," said Derik firmly, arms knotted. "Pity he did. If he hadn't, no one would have to deal with _you_ two."

Leia and Luke were both ready to fly at the taller boy, but the firm hands of Master Calon held them back. "Enough. Anger and aggression are not of the Jedi. You must learn control. And young Andress," he added, turning to the older boy. "It is very disrespectful to speak of a Jedi Master in this way. Whether you agree with him or not, Master Skywalker is your elder, and is to be spoken of with respect."

Derik grimaced. "Yes, Master," he muttered. "I understand."

Calon nodded sharply. "I hope you do. Now, I suggest all three of you separate for the remainder of the day, or until you can learn control. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," agreed Luke and Leia in unison. Leia turned away while Luke gave a short bow. They saw Derik nod, turn in his saber, and flee the premises. They turned in their own lightsabers and left the room together. The rest of the Younglings scattered.

It would be easy to avoid Derik. He would be bunking with his clanmates and the twins wouldn't even be on Coruscant until after the weekend. Luke and Leia weren't members of any clan, but they trained most often with Hawkbat Clan, as most of them still had blood relations that they knew and remembered. The Council had thought it was where the twins would be most likely to fit in.

Luke and Leia didn't really fit in anywhere. The drastic changes to the Jedi Code had come about slowly, and most Younglings still had no contact with their birth families. And of course, there was their lineage. Being Skywalkers put more pressure on the two of them both to defy expectations and live up to their father's already legendary legacy. Neither of them felt up to the challenge.

Leia was still scowling as she marched away from the Youngling's sparring room as fast as she could. Luke had to skip to catch up.

"Hey. Don't let Derik bother you. His mouth is bigger than his brains," said Luke with a frown. A quick glance was thrown over the left shoulder to make sure said blowhard was out of earshot. Luke may have been free with his tongue, but he wasn't stupid. Derik was at least twice Luke's size.

"He's a bully," grumbled Leia, staring at the floor. "The worst part is he's right. I _am_ the worse duelist in the Temple."

"You are not. Neeson is. He hardly even knows the basics of Form I. You could beat him any day." scoffed Luke.

"Anyone could, but that doesn't mean anything. Knowing the moves and using them against an opponent are two different things," reminded Leia with a deepening frown. "Master Calon even said to me last week that unless I improved, it might be another year or two before anyone would take me on as an apprentice."

Luke grimaced, knowing his sister was right. Leia knew Form I on an academic level that beat everyone else hollow. Her problem was applying those moves in a duel and keeping one step ahead of her opponent. All her instructors and even their father had said as much. Luke didn't want to see his sister sent to Agri-Corps any more than she did. He put a hand on her shoulder. "There's more to being a Jedi than using a lightsaber."

Leia crossed her arms. "That's easy for you to say. You're the best in our entire age group."

Blushing, the self-conscious Luke shrugged off the compliment. "Maybe...but there's so many other things that you're good at."

Leia wasn't convinced. "Like what?"

Again the boy shrugged. "You're smart. You've got the highest marks in the Temple in mathematics, history, and writing...and you can negotiate better than anyone."

Leia gave a wan smile at the compliment. Academics and mediating were certainly her strengths. Ironically she ended up in nearly as many arguments as she could break up. "Not Master Kenobi."

Luke made a face. "He's a Master. I bet when you grow up, you'll be just as good as him...maybe even better!"

Leia waved away her brother's atmospheric ideas. "I don't want to be better than Master Kenobi. I just want to be able to beat you, for a change."

Luke's mouth twitched. "Well, isn't it better losing to me than, say, Derik? I'm way easier on you than he is."

He was right, of course. Derik seemed to take pleasure in dealing as many Marks of Contact as possible before Master Calon stepped in and declared the duel over. Luke gave her a chance to fight back. "I don't _want_ you to be easy on me," Leia snapped. "I want to actually get the upper hand and put you on the floor for once!"

The eleven year old flinched and took a step back at the coldness that had entered the room. Luke could sense his sister's anger and jealousy ready to boil over, and it frightened him. Admittedly both twins had a quick temper, but Leia's usually lasted longer and she shouted more. Lately anger had been coming more and more easily to the girl. That chill dancing on Luke's spine was the Dark Side. He shook it away and took Leia's arm. "Uh...you don't mean that, do you? You know I don't want to hurt you."

Leia's heated expression began to cool in seeing her twin brother's plaintive eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't want to hurt you, either. I'm just so tired of you being better at everything. Being twins almost makes it worse. It's like everyone else expects us to be just as good as the other, like we're copies or something."

"I know. Just calm down, okay." Luke shuddered. "It scares me when you're angry."

Leia closed her eyes. "I don't want to be angry, it just happens."

"Seems like it's been happening a lot lately," Luke pointed out.

"I'm sorry."

"You're not getting old on me, are you?"

Leia stopped in her tracks to stare incredulously at her brother. "What? If I'm getting old, than so are you, laser brains. We're twins, remember?"

Luke blushed. "Uh...yeah, I meant...um...remember when Mom said when you're almost a teenager, things start changing? She said girls get cranky when that happens."

Heat flooded Leia's cheeks. It must have been bad if Luke thought puberty was the cause of her temper. I'm too young for that. Leia impatiently shook her head. "No. But look out; when it happens to me, it's probably going to happen to you."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, but it's not as bad with boys. We just get hair in weird places. Girls-"

Leia's face grew deep red. He's not talking about this now. There's people around! "Luke," she hissed. "Ugh. Have you packed yet?"

Luke's mischievous grin faded into his own look of embarrassment. "Not yet."

Leia's hands shifted to her hips. "Well, you'd better, because Master Towani is going to-" A look of thoughtfulness and concentration came into Leia's face as she closed her eyes. She sensed someone...there were other Jedi and Jedi in training everywhere, of course, but this presence was distinct, drawing ever closer to the twins.

Luke sensed it, too. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he grinned. "He's back!" He raced ahead to the left stair which led down into the Youngling's common area.

Leia groaned again as her brown eyes popped open. "Luke, wait...we're not supposed to run!" She took off after him anyway.


	2. Family

Nearly two meters in height with wide shoulders and a long stride, lightsaber dangling against his left hip, he stood in a parade rest at a stair landing on the South side of the Jedi Temple. Though his robes were lighter in color than they had been and his light brown hair- just past his shoulders -tied back from his face, he still cut an impressive figure that could inspire equal awe and intimidation.

The rest of the galaxy knew him as the Hero Without Fear. He had gained fame from adolescence as a tactician, pilot, duelist, and quite possibly the most powerful- and unorthodox -Jedi Master in history.

At the moment said Jedi was feeling just a bit antsy. He had not seen his family for a full month. That had not been the plan...things had just turned out that way. It was the longest they had ever been apart. Of course even having the privilege of remaining in the Order and being able to keep his family would not have happened if certain circumstances had not forced Anakin Skywalker to take a long, hard look at himself.

It had been nearly ten years since the last Siege of Naboo. Much had changed since then. Thanks in part to Anakin's actions, the Code had been rewritten to eliminate the rule against attachment. Jedi were now allowed to fall in love, marry, and have families.

Of course there were still limitations. A Jedi had to have passed the Trials for Knighthood and proven themselves disciplined and committed enough to their partner in order to have a spouse. Both were required to sign a document stating they knew and understood the perils of being a Jedi and were willing to accept them, as well as leaving any children that resulted open to the possibility of being trained as Jedi themselves. As the changes had only been ratified in the last five years, only a handful of Jedi had undertaken such a step.

Such changes were not welcomed by all members of the Order. Some disliked them and made frequent requests for their dissolution. Some felt so strongly opposed that they had left the Order outright, forming their own splinter factions that held tightly to the old ways. Most viewed it with a sort of tolerance; attachment might have been all right for some people, but they would never endanger others by doing such a thing themselves. They would also strongly discourage their Padawans from forming attachments.

Anakin, while happy that the changes had been made, didn't like the discord that had resulted from it. At times he felt regret in shaking up the Jedi so badly. Other times, especially when he was with his family, there were no such feelings. There was only contentment.

Family was and always had been the most important thing in Anakin's life. He broke into a grin as he sensed his children rounding the corner.

"Dad! Dad!" cried Luke as he and Leia breathlessly bounded up the steps. They stopped just short of plowing into their father.

Anakin could only laugh as he dropped to one knee to wrap his arms around his children. He found his blue eyes getting misty as the twins hugged the living daylights out of him. Their love and enthusiasm could be sensed across Temple, and it warmed his heart. He wanted to pick them up as he had done when they were small, but at nearly twelve they were getting far too big for such things. They might not even want it anymore.

Leia clung to her father as if she would never let go. "Father, we missed you so much!"

 _Father._ Anakin sighed wistfully. Up until Leia was eleven, she had called him 'Daddy'. In the last few months he had been 'Father' instead. It had the same meaning, but to Anakin it meant only that his little girl was growing up too fast.

"We missed you from one side of the galaxy to the other," Luke declared. He pulled back from the embrace to look at his father's face. "Why was it so long between comms?"

"Yes. We were getting worried," said Leia with a sad look.

"Not me!" Luke declared. At a scathing look from his sister he hunched his shoulders. "Well, kinda. Just a little."

"I know, Luke...Leia. I'm sorry to have worried you and your mother, but unfortunately we had to maintain comm silence until the operation was finished," apologized Anakin. "And I didn't expect it to take this long."

The twins smiled widely at their father, though Leia's was a bit forced. "That's okay. Being a Jedi doesn't have regular hours," Luke said, parroting one of the family's oft-spoken phrases. "We knew you were all right."

Luke was speaking of the Force-enhanced bond between them as a family. They would have sensed if their father was badly hurt or had been killed, and he knew it. Leia wasn't so sure, but didn't want her father doubting her abilities. "But we still missed you," she added.

Anakin reached out and smoothed Leia's hair and squeezed Luke's shoulder with an absent smile. "I know. I missed you, too, more than you know."

Luke gazed at his father. "So, why did you stay up here instead of coming down like you usually do?" he wanted to know.

"I was trying to surprise you," sighed Anakin. He shook his head. "Apparently it didn't work. When did you two sense me, anyway?"

"Back in the hall, outside the sparring room," answered Luke easily. "If we'd been trying, we probably could have sensed you sooner."

Anakin chuckled as he rose to his feet. "Practice, and soon you'll be able to sense each other on the other side of the planet. So, how have you been doing in your studies?" He kept his arms across Luke and Leia's shoulders as they began the walk back down the stairs.

Leia's smile faded in remembering her recent failures and kept her mouth shut. Luke spoke enough for both of them.

The boy grimaced. "Well, the Galactic History exams were last week."

Anakin lifted his eyebrows with interest. "How did you do?"

Luke shrugged. "I passed. But Leia did much better than I did," he said ruefully.

Anakin beamed at his daughter. She had always been a scholar and regularly surpassed most if not all her classmates. "What percentage were you in this time?"

Leia blushed. "Well..."

"She passed first!" blurted Luke enthusiastically. "Well, she and two others. But her score was perfect, just like Mathematics and Composition. Not a single question wrong!"

"That's my girl. You take after your mother. Maybe you could help Luke with his classwork," suggested Anakin.

"She tried. She says I'm hopeless," Luke admitted.

"Luke!" Leia frowned at her brother.

"Well, you did."

"Maybe if you'd spend less time in the hangar and more time in the Archives, you wouldn't be."

Luke made a face. "History wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't so boring. Flying is fun."

Anakin tried not to smile too much at his son's way of looking at things. _My thoughts exactly._ "Either way you do need to know your history. Jedi do far more than just fly across the galaxy and use a lightsaber." Here he gave both their shoulders an encouraging squeeze. When Leia winced and recoiled, Anakin stopped in his tracks. "Leia, are you all right?" Belatedly he noticed the slight pink stain on her shoulder from some sort of wound. A quick assessment with the Force told him it wasn't serious, but sensing his children in any sort of pain always pinched Anakin's heart. "What happened?"

Luke's shoulders fell. "It was my fault. I didn't want to. Honest! But Master Calon never lets the duel end until someone lands a mark of contact or surrenders. And Leia _never_ surrenders."

Leia glared briefly. "Jedi don't surrender."

The boy hung his head. "I'm sorry."

Anakin nodded sympathetically. "I know. Sometimes I think some of the sparring rules are too harsh. At least they're only training lightsabers. That doesn't keep them from stinging, but a small burn is better than losing a limb...or worse." His tone was quiet as he rolled up Leia's sleeve.

Luke made a face. "I know, but why does Master Calon have to pair us up? I hate fighting my sister."

"He could be testing you."

"It's me he's testing." Leia kept her breathing even to focus the pain elsewhere as her father examined her shoulder. "He spoke of courage in facing up to someone you don't think you can win against. Everyone was outmatched today."

Anakin pulled away with a short sigh of relief at his vision confirming his senses. It was only a small second-degree burn; no worse than a bad sunburn. It would heal quickly with a bacta patch. But he knew how painful those types of burns could be. "You'll be fine. Want to see a healer before we get your things?"

Leia pulled away. "I'm all right. How did your mission go, Father?"

"Smugglers can be surprisingly hard to deal with," admitted Anakin, letting Leia's sleeve fall. He had been spending his last month with former apprentice Ahsoka Tano investigating a rumored spice smuggling ring working beneath what seemed to be a legitimate business operation on Nar Shadda.

"So there _were_ smugglers," exclaimed Luke with widening eyes. "What were they smuggling?"

"Spice, and a lot of it. We found at least fifteen hundred kilos in an underground storage facility," explained Anakin.

"Greedy drug-runners," muttered Leia in disgust. She and Luke had already heard about spice and the damaging effects it had on people. "I hope you and Master Tano were able to shut them down."

"It took some doing, but eventually they agreed to come quietly. Republic Security moved in after we did and took them to court for a fair trial." Anakin tactfully left out the bits about wounding several people and lopping off a limb in an effort to subdue the crooks. He didn't enjoy dispatching people in such a way and didn't want his children to hear about it.

Luke grunted with satisfaction. "Good. I can't wait 'till we can start going on missions and exploring the galaxy."

Anakin grimaced despite himself. "There's plenty of time for that. First I think you two need to get packed so we can go home."

Leia finally found opportunity to straighten her spine. "I'm packed, but Luke isn't."

Luke bristled for a moment. "Yes, I am...mostly."

Anakin rumpled Luke's hair. "Come on, then, and let's finish." Together he and his children headed toward their shared room.

"Is Master Tano still here?" Leia wanted to know.

"She was going to speak with the Council about taking on an apprentice."

"I hope they say yes. She'd make a great teacher."

"Hey, where's Artoo?" blurted Luke, looking around.

Anakin chuckled. His children had grown up with the stubby blue astromech droid and considered him a member of the family. They had probably missed him. "He's waiting for us back at the ship. You'll see him in a minute."

Luke broke into a grin. "I can't wait to see the look on Mom's face when we walk in."

Anakin found his own grin wistful when he thought of his strong, beautiful wife. He had missed her to an almost painful degree and was looking forward to catching up on some long overdue affection. "Neither can I. Come on. Let's hurry so we can get home."


	3. Home

_Misplaced pronoun...incorrect punctuation...fragment...run-on..._ One by one the grammatical errors were marked in red on the holographic readout, the frown of she who did the corrections growing deeper with each one. _How did these students make it through primary school?_ she wondered with a shake of her head. Each essay seemed to have more mistakes than the last. Finishing with the current essay, she ejected the data card from the console and glanced at the chronometer. Two hours already? She still had sixteen to go.

With a sigh and a soft groan, Padme Amidala Skywalker leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples. It had not been easy giving up her position as Representative to her home planet. Padme had enjoyed the ability to do good for her people and help effect needed changes. But lately it seemed the job had been a bit harder on her than usual. Twice before had she lost her temper, twice before working too hard and oversleeping from exhaustion. Padme knew she was overwhelmed, but wasn't one to quit. Finally the Queen herself had taken Padme aside.

"You have served Naboo admirably. I doubt any one person has done more than you," she smiled. "But you have done so for twenty years. You need serve no longer. It is time for you to settle down and focus on that lovely family of yours."

It was a polite way of asking Padme to step down. While there had been tears, Padme realized the Queen was right. She had done her part and then some, serving longer than the vast majority of her peers. So she had retired from her position as Representative.

Idleness had never suited Padme. While Luke and Leia were more than enough to keep her busy, by then they were spending most of their time at the Jedi Temple with Anakin and were only home on the weekends...and, once in a while, for a holiday. Padme had so much time on her hands she didn't know what to do with herself. Hobbies such as gardening and a brief attempt at painting never filled the void. She had to be doing something that mattered in the long run.

So, Padme had put in her name for consideration for a teaching position. Once her name was seen all the other applications had been discarded. For seven years now, Padme had been working as a Social Studies teacher and tutor for the lower grades in secondary school.

Most of the time, Padme enjoyed teaching. Filling young minds with knowledge gave her a great sense of satisfaction. Her heart soared with happiness when a student who had been struggling finally understood a concept and ran with it. She also felt as if she was carrying on her late father's legacy.

Then there were the days where everything seemed to go wrong. This had been one of those days. In the eighth-term class a trio of thirteen year old boys consistently joked, tittered, and generally didn't pay attention to the lesson on Gungan society. Three separate times Padme quietly asked them to stop. They didn't. Finally the woman had enough and asked all three of them to leave the classroom and go straight to the principal's office with two demerits each. When the last complained loudly and made a crude remark about the intelligence of Gungans- and one Gungan in particular -it was all Padme could do to keep from slapping the impudent teen. Recalling the incident later had left her in tears.

Padme liked to think she was a fairly patient woman. Lately it seemed that every little thing was setting her off either with anger or sadness. She had also been plagued with increasing bouts with insomnia, headaches, and dizzy spells and wondered what in the galaxy was going on. The only reason Padme could come up with was the fact that her husband had been out saving the galaxy for a month...with only two points where he had contacted her.

They had been separated for long periods before. In the early days, when their marriage had been a secret, they went weeks and even months at a time without seeing or speaking with each other. Since the secret was out things had improved. Until Anakin had gone back to the Jedi they never spent more than a day apart. Even since Anakin had returned to the Order and begun taking the children to the Temple, she saw him at least three days out of the week and spoke with him almost every day.

 _I'm spoiled,_ reflected Padme as she tried to rub away the newest headache forming between her temples. _We knew what would happen when he went back._ While her heart longed for her Ani, she had long ago accepted the fact that life as a Jedi wasn't normal. She had to share her husband with the galaxy.

But did an undercover sting operation to shut down an illegal spice smuggling ring really have to take a month? Why had it been so long since he had contacted her? Surely the Temple would have left word if something had happened. Anakin had said in his last transmission he should be coming home soon. That had been days ago. Where was he?

 _He's fine,_ Padme told herself, though she had long since lost her concentration. _The children would know if he wasn't. They'd tell me._

The children...? Padme looked again at the chronometer and grimaced. They were supposed to be coming home any minute. She would have picked them up from the Temple herself, had she the transportation. But Anakin had to take the family starship and repaint it so he could travel incognito. Republic transports were too recognizable. That left the job of taking Luke and Leia home to one of the Jedi mechanics. Jerim S'laan had never passed the Trials, but had made a place for himself in the repair bay. Anakin trusted the man with his life and the children seemed to enjoy his stories. So when neither parent could take Luke and Leia back to Naboo for the weekend, Jerim did it.

Padme sighed when she surveyed the pile of datacards she had yet to go over. _So much for finishing before the children are home._ All motivation and concentration seemed to have gone. All she wanted to do was take a nap. _Maybe something to drink would help..._ Padme pushed to her feet and was once again assaulted by a spell of dizziness. She had to brace herself against the table to keep from staggering. _What's going on?_

The soft whirring of servomotors announced the arrival of See-Threepio. The golden protocol droid tilted his head to one side in concern. "Oh. Dear me, Miss Padme, are you all right? I do hope you have not taken ill."

Padme forced a smile as the dizziness passed. "I'm fine, Threepio. Just tired."

"Might I suggest you take a respite? If I may say so, you look a bit...well, out of sorts," said the droid as tactfully as he could.

"Do I?" Padme gave an ironic chuckle. Her reflection in the nearest window looked about as tired as she felt. A small streak of gray beneath one temple had appeared seemingly out of nowhere several months before. Its presence had made Padme laugh. At thirty-nine she was on the cusp of entering middle age and her mother had grayed early, covering it with dye. The odds were against her. At the moment Padme felt about twice her age. "Unfortunately I can't take a break until I'm finished. These assignments still have to be graded."

"Well, then, is there anything I might do to help?"

"No, thank you, Threepio. I can manage."

"A cup of tea, perhaps?"

Padme smiled. "That...sounds perfect. Thank you."

Happy to be of use, Threepio executed a stiff bow. "It shall be ready momentarily, my lady."

The floral tea had barely finished steeping when the distinctive sound of a starship coming in for a landing made a relieved smile rise on Padme's face. _They're here._ One last correction was made on the current essay before the datacard was ejected and the console put in sleep mode.

The next moment, the stampeding of young feet raced up to the front door. After a brief, muffled argument over who won the race, the door slid open to admit a pair of eleven year old children. "Hi, Mom! We're home," announced Luke.

Padme was already up and halfway to the door by then. "Luke. Leia." One at a time the children were caught in a close embrace and given a kiss on the cheek. "Well, it looks as if you're both in one piece," she remarked with a relieved sigh. The dangers of Jedi training were not something to dwell upon.

"Of course we are," said Luke indignantly. "You don't have to worry about us."

"I'm your mother. It's my job," replied Padme with a slight smile. It faded into a look of wistfulness as she saw that Luke was nearly as tall as she. "You've grown again."

"It's only been a week, Mother," said Leia, amused.

"Maybe just I keep forgetting how tall you both are. Oh, I hope you've thanked Jedi S'laan for the ride," reminded Padme as only a mother can. She looked outside to thank him herself and saw no one. Confusion made her take a step back.

The twins exchanged barely-contained grins. Luke shrugged. "Oh, it wasn't Jerim this time."

Padme knit her brows. No one had said anything. "Then who gave you the ride home...?"

"If you'll excuse me, M'lady, it was I." A tall, handsome Jedi with a twinkle in his blue eyes sidestepped into view and executed a formal bow. "You needn't worry. I assure you that your children were quite safe in my care."

Padme's head snapped up at the voice and crossed the space of two meters in a single bound. "Anakin!" In half a moment she was in her husband's arms. Then he kissed her, and the rest faded away.

She might have had to share Anakin with the rest of the galaxy, but this part was all hers.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

In a matter of minutes Luke, Leia, and Anakin had all unpacked and settled in. Artoo-Detoo, Anakin's blue and white astromech, had also come inside to converse with the family and See-Threepio. In time dinner was ready, and the family sat down to eat and talk.

Luke needed no prompting to speak extensively about what he and Leia had learned during the week and different things that had happened. His tone was one of great enthusiasm. He detailed progress made in different applications of the Force, for both him and Leia. She was the one he bragged on, proudly speaking of her high marks and social skills. Both children were praised equally by both parents, though admittedly Padme was a little lost during the conversation. Anakin explained anything he could and encouraged the children to go on.

Leia was quieter and didn't say much except about the areas where she felt most comfortable; academics. There was a conversation between her and Padme for a time while they discussed history and why so much of the galaxy interpreted things differently than the Jedi.

"Oh, speaking of exams...Dad?" said Luke, swallowing a mouthful of spicy noodles. "Piloting exams are next week. Do you think I could practice in your ship?"

"I don't know," said Anakin, catching how uneasy Padme looked. "Maybe when you have more experience."

"Experience? I've been flying since I was six."

"I've been flying since I was four, and I have about twenty years on you."

Luke nodded eagerly. "I know. That's why I want you to teach me. You're the best pilot in the galaxy!"

Anakin's mouth threatened a smile. "Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere, son."

Luke sighed impatiently. "But it's true, right? And I'm not going to get any better unless I practice."

It was a struggle not to chuckle at how Luke was working his father. Anakin smiled. Personally he wouldn't have any problem letting his children fly his ship. He knew their skills and felt confident neither of them was going to crash. But judging by Padme's pale complexion she didn't feel the same. "Is it all right with your mother?"

Luke turned to Padme and took her hand. "Mom, I promise I'll be careful."

Padme offered her son a wan smile at the typical pre-teen promise. She actually trusted him to keep it more than the average child, but the fact remained that he was still a child. "I know, Luke. Both you and Leia are fine pilots. You, unfortunately, can be a little reckless. I don't want you going up alone."

"They won't," put in Anakin firmly. When Luke tried to protest he showed a palm. "I'm sorry, Luke. I know you can handle the ship, but I'm not letting either of you fly solo until you're sixteen. Understand?"

"I guess," sighed Luke. His disappointment was brief. "Does...that mean I can go?"

After seeing Padme nod, Anakin turned back to his son. "All right. Two conditions; first, Leia comes with us, and second, no showing off. Deal?"

Luke's bright grin returned, and he sat up a little straighter in his seat. "Deal. Thanks."

Leia eyed her twin brother. "You better not stick me in the copilot's seat the whole time like you did last month," she warned.

Luke nodded, but the glint was still in his blue eyes as he gulped down another mouthful of noodles. He didn't mind sharing flight time with Leia. His only hope was that their father would allow them more than an hour in the air.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

After dinner Luke busied himself talking Leia into different physical challenges in the backyard, and Leia was taking him up on them. Where she struggled, he helped her. At the moment they were having a competition as to who could walk farther on their hands.

Padme and Anakin had just finished the dishes and had risen from the table to talk in the living room when another dizzy spell assaulted Padme, and she staggered, hand to her head.

"Padme?" Anakin quickly gripped his wife's waist and eyed her in concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Padme smiled at her husband, but when he let go, she went down again.

"Come on, sit down," urged Anakin, all but carrying her to the sofa despite her frustrations. "What's the matter?"

"I just stood up too fast," said Padme, rubbing her temples. "It's nothing."

Threepio waddled by, stopped, and turned to regard the pair. "Oh, my lady. Another dizzy spell? Dear, dear. You really must slow down."

Padme frowned at the droid and waved him aside. "I'm fine, Threepio," she said with a slight edge to her voice. "Why don't you see if the flowers in the greenhouse need watering?"

Threepio seemed taken aback, but bowed and waddled off again.

Anakin, meanwhile, felt his alarm rise a notch. "What did he mean? This has happened before, hasn't it?"

Reluctantly Padme nodded.

Anakin's reparative instincts immediately kicked in. _Find out what's wrong and fix it if you can._ "When did it start?"

Padme shrugged. "A few days after you left."

 _That long?_ Anakin sagged a little in his chair. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I'm not hurt," said Padme quickly, "so don't look at me as if I'm going to fall apart."

"Is there anything else?"

"Headaches...sometimes."

"You need to see a medic."

Padme shook her head at his worry. "Ani, don't start. It's just fatigue. I haven't been sleeping very well, and this is what happens."

Anakin knit his brows, fretfully rubbing the back of Padme's hand. "Well, why haven't you been sleeping?"

Padme gave a helpless shrug and offered a tired smile. "I missed you."

Anakin slid his arm around Padme's shoulders. "I missed you, too. But something tells me this is something else. As soon as you can, I want you to see a medic. All right?"

Padme frowned, but was too tired to argue. "All right...but I'm fine. So stop worrying about me."

Anakin let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his face against hers. "I can't help it. I love you so much, and I can't stand it when you or the children are in pain. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, there is something that _might_ help."

"What's that?"

Padme turned around and craned her neck upward to kiss her husband firmly on the lips. She didn't stop until they were facing each other and locked in an embrace.

Anakin blinked with pleasant surprise as he pulled back. "Feel better?"

Padme nodded. "I do. Thank you."

Anakin's smile widened. "Happy to help."

Their second kiss was interrupted by a chorus of giggles. Both parents and pulled away to see Luke and Leia standing in the doorway wearing a pair of silly grins.

Anakin grunted in annoyance, pressing his forehead against Padme's for a brief moment. By unspoken consent, they agreed to resume their conversation later.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Long after both Luke and Leia had gone to bed, their parents did resume the conversation. Some of it involved speaking of different events that had befallen them while Anakin was away. In other instances, no words were needed. It took time. There was quite a bit to catch up on.

Sometime later they lay side by side with quiet contentment between them. Padme felt much better and was nearing sleep, head pillowed on her husband's shoulder, while Anakin stared into the darkness. His mind wandered back to the Temple until it settled on a subject he would rather not think about. It made him frown even as he held Padme in his arms. There was still something they had not discussed. _Too late now,_ he thought, sighing heavily. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

Padme stirred against him. With a yawn she lifted her head and turned bleary eyes to her husband. "Ani?"

Anakin stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Padme shook her head. "No. I wasn't asleep yet. Is something bothering you?"

Anakin smiled ruefully. "You should have been a Jedi. Sometimes I think you can sense things as easily as Luke and Leia can."

"Well, after fifteen years, I hope I know you well enough to not need the Force," offered Padme with her own lopsided smile. It faded quickly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know that anything is...wrong," hesitated Anakin. "I was just thinking about the children."

"What about them?" asked Padme, mildly concerned. "Were they hurt more than Leia told me?"

"No. Leia's fine. Her arm should be better in the morning."

"What, then?"

Anakin let out another sigh. "It's their training. They're both growing so strong in the Force. Everyone in the Temple has taken notice of them, from the youngest initiate to the oldest Master. Both are generating quite a bit of talk...mostly Luke."

Padme knit her brows. "Why Luke? Haven't you said both he and Leia are equally strong in the Force?"

The Jedi nodded. "They are. But their talents are in different areas. Leia's strengths are in academics and social skills. She relates well to people...I might even say she's a natural leader in some ways. She takes after you, in that instance." Anakin smiled indulgently at his wife.

Padme waved his compliments away. "Actually, I think she might be better at that than I am. What about Luke?"

Anakin moistened his lips. "Luke is more physical. His talents lie in swordsmanship, telekinesis, piloting, mechanics...that kind of thing."

Padme chuckled. "Sounds like another Jedi I know. So, what's the problem?"

Here Anakin cringed. "The problem is both of them are learning at a faster pace than I ever imagined. Luke could build his own lightsaber by the end of the year. He's been ready to be taken on as an apprentice for almost thirteen months now. Leia has a few more things to learn before she is, but it won't be long."

The former senator frowned. "But Anakin, I thought you were going to be the one to train our children."

Anakin shook his head. "Only until they were ready to be taken as apprentices."

"But why? I may not be a Jedi, but I can see the progress they've made. Why shouldn't you keep training them, even as Padawans?" Padme wanted to know.

"Because the Jedi Code still forbids taking on more than one apprentice at a time," explained Anakin.

"Hasn't the Code been changed?"

"Only the parts about attachment. And to be honest, I don't know that I would be the best teacher for them."

Padme snuggled a bit closer to her husband. "Ani, of course you would. You're wonderful with them."

Anakin gave a wan smile. "Being a father is one thing. Being their master would be something else. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have them as apprentices. I'm just not sure if I could take on both of them at once."

Padme shrugged. "Well, if not you, then whom?"

Anakin grimaced. "There's no shortage of choices. Leia already has a few Masters watching her closely, and Luke? He has a line going out the door."

Padme blinked as she absorbed what her husband was saying. She understood the worry about not being able to handle both at once. They were a loving but trying pair. "Coudn't you train just one of them, then?"

Sadly the Jedi nodded. "I'd like to very much. But taking one of them and not the other could make them jealous. I don't want to have to choose between my children."

Padme seemed to understand this. She nodded back. "I know. I don't think I would be able to choose between them either." Her head returned to Anakin's shoulder. "When will you know that the children are ready to graduate from the Youngling class?"

Anakin almost chuckled. "Graduate? I've never heard it put that way before...but I'm not sure. I'll tell you when I do."

"You'd better," murmured Padme. A large yawn nearly split her face. "Well, it's not going to be tomorrow, so you don't need to worry about it tonight."

"I'm not worried, just concerned," corrected Anakin.

Padme shrugged. "Either way, you'll do neither yourself nor the twins any good losing sleep over it. It can wait a few more days."

Anakin sighed softly. "I suppose so. What about you?"

The woman smiled at him. "I'm fine. But the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner I'll be able to...and I'm tired." She yawned yet again.

 _How in the galaxy did I end up with the perfect woman?_ Anakin stroked Padme's bare arm with the back of his hand, smiling softly. "All right. I'll sleep." He leaned over to cover her lips with his in a brief but firm kiss. "I love you."

A warm but tired smile spread across Padme's face. "I love you." Curling up against her husband, she was asleep in moments.


	4. Students

Luke's overconfident statements about his piloting were no exaggeration. He handled the family cruiser like he had been born in the cockpit. The only time Anakin had to take the controls was when Luke snuck in a couple of barrel rolls. Leia was calmer in the pilot's seat and kept a steady speed and a regular altitude. The only point where she needed more practice was her landings. She had an unfortunate habit of overcompensating when she lined up on final approach and wound up crooked more often than not.

Both twins thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. While Luke spent nearly every spare moment with his father either flying laps around Theed or repairing this or that, Leia spent most of her time either reading or helping her mother. Time was set aside for her father, of course, but that was less productive. Anakin enjoyed the company of both children and was quite willing to oblige Leia when she asked for affection. As far as that was concerned, she was still 'Daddy's little girl'.

As was the case with every weekend, it came to an end far too soon. Leia in particular greeted its arrival with a deep frown. She was not looking forward to seeing Derik again at lightsaber class. Luke, on the other hand, while he missed his mother during the week, could hardly wait to get back to his Jedi training.

Anakin greeted the end of his time off with mixed feelings. While he had been lucky not to be called out, as he often was, he couldn't help but feel concern for Padme. The fact that she had lost so much sleep in his absence made him want to stay with her until she caught up.

"Ani, for the last time, I'm all right," laughed Padme as she stood farewelling her family. "I slept better this last weekend than I have in weeks."

"I'd still feel better if you saw a medic," Anakin sighed, stroking her cheek.

"I'm fine. Go on, now. You're going to be late."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

Padme didn't know whether to laugh or groan at that statement, so she pursed her lips and pretended to shove him out the door. "All right. I am. I want this house all to myself." Upon seeing his forlorn expression the teacher shook her head and groaned. "Ani, I was joking. Don't take everything so personally."

Anakin glanced at his boots and allowed himself a smile. "I'm sorry. I know you think I'm overreacting. But if that dizziness doesn't go away, I'd really like for you to see a medic about it. Please? For me?"

Padme had to smile at his long face. "All right. I will." She stood on tiptoe to kiss her husband one last time.

Luke, peering out from the loading ramp, groaned. "How many time you gonna kiss her, Dad? Let's go!"

Anakin rolled his eyes and threw his son a caricatured frown. "That's a nice way to talk about your mother."

Luke didn't flinch. "I didn't say anything mean. But you kissed her five time already. We're gonna be late!"

Anakin nodded toward the main hold. "Go get buckled in, young man."

The boy made a face, but nodded. "All right. Love you, Mom. Bye!" And he ducked back into the ship.

Padme was laughing as Anakin turned back to her. "He's right. Now, go."

Anakin grunted in mild annoyance and shook his head. A final, quick peck was given to his wife. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Padme watched with a wistful smile as her husband jogged up the ramp and began takeoff procedures. In minutes the ramp was closed and the ship soared into the air with a whine, beginning the eight hour hyperspace jump to Coruscant.

It was a long while before Padme stopped staring at the sky and headed inside.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Once in hyperspace Luke and Leia found their own ways to amuse themselves. They played a little, but Luke was already in full Jedi mode. He muttered the Jedi Code over and over to himself, quizzed Leia on it, and when that bored him, levitated anything that wasn't tied down...including Artoo. Only when Anakin suggested the twins meditate did Luke finally put the droid down.

Leia didn't mind meditation as much as Luke did. The white noise of the ship's engines and the mesmerizing blue glow of hyperspace made an ideal environment for it. It was then she felt the strongest in the Force. Sensing the presence of both brother and father brought warm feelings in which Leia was quite willing to lose herself.

To keep Luke interested, Anakin often played a sort of game that aided in sharpening his children's senses. Leia called it the Jedi version of "Comm Talk". He would speak several words to one twin's mind, who would pass it on to the other. That child then had to recite what they had 'heard'. Sometimes the results were rather far off and came out sounding funny. They had played the game since age three and had improved drastically. It was almost at the point where Anakin, whose strengths were elsewhere, couldn't complicate the message enough to stump them. Luke and Leia conversed better with each other than their father did with them.

Anakin sat cross-legged at one end of the main hold, eyes closed, mind open as he picked a child to speak with next. _Luke..._

Luke responded quickly. _Yes?_

 _Ask Leia what makes a gundark unique._

Luke listened intently before passing the message on.

Leia was smiling before she opened her eyes. "Their ears," she answered promptly.

Anakin lifted his brows, nodding. "I'll never figure out how you two are better at something than I am," he said without jealousy.

Luke shrugged. "Maybe because we're twins?"

Anakin smiled at his children. That was certainly a possibility. The Council had remarked when the twins were little more than toddlers that they had a deep bond through the Force. It may well have been because they had shared their mother's womb for nine months. "Perhaps it is. Either way, I think we've gone as far as we can with that game. Leia, would you like some help in telekinesis?"

Leia cringed, hesitating. "Um...okay. Thank you." She needed all the help she could get in both that and swordsmanship.

"What about me?" asked Luke, feeling a little left out.

"You had your turn already. Why don't you keep an eye on the nav-computer?" suggested Anakin.

Luke didn't have to be asked twice. He dashed back up to the cockpit with a huge grin on his face.

Meanwhile Anakin moved to stand behind Leia, a hand on her shoulder. "We'll start small, all right? Which objects are you levitating in class?"

Leia shrugged. "Rocks about that big," she answered, making a fist.

"All right..." Anakin searched the hold for something to substitute. He smiled when he found a Jedi training remote. "That'll do." He set it on a table at the opposite end of the hold. "There you are."

"That's cheating. It has repulsors," reminded Leia with a frown.

"They're turned off. Close your eyes and reach out with the Force," instructed Anakin. "See the remote in your mind's eye. Sense where it is, the shape of it, where all the components are."

Leia's brown eyes had already drifted shut. She unconsciously extended her open hand toward the object. Gradually a picture began to form in her mind. She didn't move until it was crystal clear. "I see it."

Anakin nodded, sensing the connecting himself. "Good. Now, use the Force to lift it up."

Leia bit her lip and wrinkled her brow with concentration. For a time, not much happened. The remote wiggled atop the table, at one point nearly rolling off. It was like trying to pick up a slippery glass marble with eating sticks. Several times Leia nearly lost the object. But she persisted, and finally had a firm grip on it. The remote rose several centimeters into the air.

Anakin smiled. "Good. Very good. Do you have it?"

Slowly Leia nodded, still holding the remote in the air.

Anakin let out a quiet sigh. "All right. Pull it into your hand."

Leia frowned. She didn't know that she could. It was beyond where she had moved thus far. But the need to please her father stifled the feelings of doubt, and the girl began pulling the remote across the room. It moved at a slime-crawler's pace, but it was moving. Excitement threatened to make Leia lost her focus, and she struggled to stay calm. She was doing it! It would be the first time anything had been called all the way into her hand.

The remote continued to advance, bit by bit, until it hung midway across the room. Nearer it came...

At that moment, Luke poked his head into the room. "Hey, Dad? The reversion alarm is- oh, hey! Way to go, Leia! Told you that you could do it."

That noise, however positive it was, proved to be the straw that broke the eopie's back...or rather, the straw that broke Leia's concentration. The remote dropped to the floor and rolled away. Leia opened her eyes with a groan. "Luke!"

Luke cringed and took a step back. "Sorry. Guess I was kinda excited."

"Then be excited quietly next time," griped Leia, staring sadly at the dropped remote.

"That's enough," Anakin sighed. He strode to the cockpit, putting his hand on Luke's shoulder on the way. "It's all right, Leia. It takes time. Luke...you do need to calm down a little."

"I will." Luke cautiously tiptoed up to his unhappy twin. "You did good."

Leia just frowned, crossing her arms. _Right until the point where I dropped it. Why does Luke have to do that? He always does that._ To make matters worse, he was too nice about it. It was easier to be mad at someone who laughed.

Anakin's voice from the cockpit interrupted whatever was going to happen between his children. "Okay, we're coming out of hyperspace. Better get into your seats and strap in," he called.

Quickly both twins obeyed. Leia continued to frown all the way out of hyperspace and into Coruscant's atmosphere. She could think only of her failure and how she wanted to make it right next time. _I will,_ she vowed. _One way or another, I'll be just as good as Luke. Derik won't laugh when I finally beat him in a duel._

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

However else the Council may have changed, their timing is just as bad as ever, thought Anakin as he marched downstairs.

Anakin had been on his way to escort his children to their swordsmanship class when he had been stopped in the hall by his old master and closest friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The children were sent on ahead so they would not be late for their class.

After exchanging greetings and other such pleasantries, the Jedi Master informed Anakin that the High Council wanted to see him, Luke, and Leia in their chambers as soon as possible to discuss their futures at the Jedi Temple. No further details were given.

The news put Anakin's nerves into overdrive. He had a feeling he knew the reason for this sudden request; Luke was going to be put through the Initiate Trials early. The boy had been ready for months and there was no reason to hold him back any longer. Foremost in Anakin's mind was whether he would continue to train his son by default or be lumped together with the other Jedi Masters who were positively clamoring for such a chance. Or would he even be allowed at the trials at all? Would Luke and Leia's Force bond be enough reason to keep them together, even if one was more prepared than the other?

For a time Anakin was occupied in just trying to calm himself _. You knew this day would come. Relax. Luke and Leia will be fine. No matter what happens, the Jedi promised never to take your children away. And even if they are separated, they're both very strong in the Force._

It took nearly an hour for Anakin to return to a calm, even-tempered state. Only then did he head back to oversee the remainder of their saber training.

The hum and clash of lightsabers was obvious even from a distance, and Anakin quickly learned that the students were sparring. Calon must have been preparing his students for the upcoming Apprentice Tournament. Anakin fought back a grin as he entered, eager to see his children in action and what they had learned in his absence.

Hawkbat Clan had evidently been doing a tournament-style spar in which they were paired off, then whittled down to the finalist by a process of elimination. They seemed to be nearing the semi-finals. Anakin was pleased but unsurprised to see Luke had made the top four. He made brief eye contact with his son before mentally admonished him to pay attention. Luke had to fight a smile.

Master Calon barely glanced up from overseeing the spar to acknowledge Anakin's presence. He nodded to a bare wall where the younger Jedi could observe without being too much of a distraction. Several students craned their necks to look anyway. Even in the Temple- or perhaps especially in the Temple -Anakin Skywalker's exploits were the stuff of legend.

Casually Anakin leaned against the wall to watch the final spar that would decide the semi-final. His surprise mounted upon seeing that Leia was on the verge of matching her brother's progress. Sweat glistened on her forehead, but she managed to keep the blue Twi'lek male from landing any marks of contact.

Then the youngling tripped and dropped his weapon. He looked even more winded than Leia, if that was possible. A quick look of disappointment was followed by the call of surrender.

Calon stepped forward. "Sentana yields; advancing to semi-finals are Atumi, Andress, Skywalker, and...Skywalker." He lifted his brows as he turned to Leia. "Well-done. Perhaps Naboo's climate is conducive to concentration."

Leia smiled, still catching her breath, and spared an eager look for her father before standing in a parade rest at the edge of the open space. 'Father, did you see that,' she seemed to ask.

Anakin favored his daughter with a slight nod and eagerly settled in to see what would happen. He knew even advancing that far was an accomplishment for his daughter.

There was a five-minute rest period in which the students were encouraged to regain their strength. Leia's fatigue was obvious and she immediately dropped into meditation. For a moment it looked as though the girl had fallen asleep. Luke didn't bother closing his eyes and instead focused on his breathing, trying to guess who he would be paired up with. Clearly he was enjoying himself.

The rest period ended. Luke was paired up with Felina Atumi, a female the same species as Luminara Unduli. Her dark eyes were deceptively quiet and calm, but Anakin recognized her as a rather formidable duelist. Already she was showing tendencies toward Form II- also known as Makashi -with precise, controlled movements and an aligned stance. Anakin noticed Luke stand up a little straighter. Felina was one of the students the boy liked dueling with. She provided a challenge but had the grace to accept defeat.

Of course this resulted in Leia being paired with Derik Andress. The boy seemed all too eager for this contest. Anakin had to hide his cringe. He knew how much trouble his children had had with Derik and disliked not being able to do anything about it.

The students took their ready stances and saluted each other. Without ceremony the sparring began. Anakin, unworried about his son, directed his attention to his daughter.

In moments it was clear that Andress had the upper hand. He was almost smirking as he easily parried Leia's attacks, not allowing her any openings. Several times he showed off a more advanced move, such as jumping over Leia's head, and then threw a look of overconfidence to his fellow younglings. Once the impudent youth even made a show of yawning and using one hand just to show how much better he was than Leia until he caught a frown from Master Calon.

Leia knew she was being toyed with and resented it. Her frustration mounted with every arrogant dodge, every false retreat. When Derik went on the attack she had to work to parry the blows. Her next two counterattacks missed completely, throwing her off-balance.

Anakin had to bite his tongue to keep from interceding on his daughter's behalf. This contest walked the line between teaching persistence and just being cruel. But he knew that life as a Jedi was rarely fair. He could only stand there and will Leia to calm down. Her emotions were starting to interfere with her performance. _Relax, Leia. Use the Force. Let it help you._

Leia apparently didn't know what her father was telling her. Doggedly she kept going, determined not to give up. Mounting anger was barely kept in check.

Then everything changed. Derik waited until his and Leia's blades were in a lock before suddenly deactivating his blade and dancing to the left to send Leia off-balance. A Force push added insult to injury.

Leia landed hard on her backside, unhurt but humiliated. Derik's taunting grin proved to be the twig that broke the eopie's back. In less than a second Leia had rocked back to her feet and positively flew at Derik. It was less a second wind and more an expression of utter fury. Blades clashed as Derik's look of superiority faded into one of fright.

Younglings stiffened and squirmed. The room seemed to cool. Most turned to Calon for guidance, wondering what he would do.

Anakin wondered that himself and felt sick to his stomach in seeing his daughter meet the same demon he had released ten years before. "Leia, no...no, get control," he murmured.

Calon's frown was deep as he approached the combatants at a slow walk. Why he did not step in and end the duel then and there remained to be seen. "Leia Skywalker, regain control of your emotions," he urged firmly.

Leia didn't seem to hear either him or her father. Derik was fighting harder than ever and pressed her back until she was on her back. In response Leia lashed out with her booted foot and kicked him square in the knee.

Neither student was sure of what happened next, at least at first. One moment Derik was trying to limp away, then there was a green flash and he crumpled to the floor, crying out, hands over his face. Leia glared at him for a moment, then fell back with a shudder, shutting off her lightsaber. She had won the spar. That much was obvious. But why did she feel cold?

Master Calon reacted by extending his arm and calling the saber into his palm. His own expression was as close at it could be to anger without touching that dark emotion. "That...was not...called for," he said without raising his voice.


	5. Discord

All movement in the room ceased. Every student regarded the scene with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Luke and Felina's sparring session had ended as both stared at Leia. Luke looked worried. His run to his sister was stopped by Anakin, whose expression was one of hurt and deep disappointment.

Derik rose slowly, hand covering his eye as he tried desperately not to cry. Fear rose when he pulled his hand away. "My eye...I can't see!"

Leia was still in a state of shock herself. She stared uncomprehendingly at Derik, still unsure of what had happened. She must have hurt him. A small part of her felt a sense of satisfaction at the idea. _Good. Now he knows what it feels like._

Anakin crossed the room in a single stride and gripped Leia's shoulders, making her look at him. "Leia, what did you do?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

The girl flinched. Her father's disapproval was worse than anything else. Leia blinked. "I..." It all seemed like someone else...emotions and feelings that were not her own. "I don't know...wh-why is it so cold?"

Anakin closed his eyes. Leia had touched the Dark Side.

Meanwhile Derik was still whimpering over his eye. "Master, help me!"

Calon frowned and bent over to assess the boy's injury. "Be still. Let me see." Derik had received a second degree burn from the bridge of his nose to his left temple. The eye had already swollen shut. Such a wound was hardly life-threatening, but very painful, as evidenced by Derik's frightened whimpering. His sight might be somewhat impaired if the cornea had been damaged. If the younglings had been using real lightsabers, it would be a very different story. The boy would have lost his eye. "Go to the Healers, Andress. They'll help you. But calm yourself. Breathe."

Instinctively Derik dropped into a breathing exercise as he rose unsteadily to his feet. Two other students came to his aid and helped him outside.

Calon's frown was deep as he regarded Leia. "Leia Skywalker, you have demonstrated a disturbing lack of control over both emotions and actions. You are dismissed. "

 _Permanently?_ Leia snapped her mouth shut against any protests. They would have been useless anyway. She hung her head as her father escorted her outside. What stung was the looks everyone else was giving her...and Anakin's stern reproach.

When the door had closed, the swordsmaster took a deep breath before turning to Luke and Felina. "Do not let this interfere with your training. Clear your minds and finish what you began."

Felina took her own deep breaths before returning to the ready stance. She waited until Luke had returned to his before moving in to attack.

Luke blocked halfheartedly before letting the saber drop from his hand. "Solah," he called in a dull voice. If he noticed the disappointment on Calon's face, he didn't care. All he cared about was finding out what had happened to make his sister touch darkness.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

"Leia, why?" sighed Anakin as he walked along the corridors with his daughter. "Why did you hurt him like that?"

"I..." Leia blinked. In recollection she saw herself slashing at Derik's face. "I wanted to win."

Anakin nodded grimly. "That was plain. But why did you resort to those means? I could see that Derik was taunting you, but-"

Leia's eyes narrowed as she turned to him. "Taunting me? He was playing with me like a pitten bats around a rodent. And it wasn't just today; he always does that! He could beat me in a minute, and he knows it, but he draws it out until I'm exhausted. And then he lands as many Marks of Contact as he can until Master Calon stops him. He _likes_ hurting me!" She was too ashamed to look her father in the eye at that point, so she turned away. "I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

Anakin grimaced. Her attitude reminded him of himself when he had been younger. He'd always hated bullies. "I know. But that's not your job. It's the job of your master to see that everyone is treated well."

"But he never _does_ anything," protested Leia.

"That still doesn't give you any right to maim a fellow student," said Anakin, shaking his head.

 _Maim?_ Leia cringed. "But...I didn't maim him. Burns heal. They're only training lightsabers. They hurt, but..."

 _She doesn't understand._ Slowly Anakin turned to his daughter to take her shoulder again. "The eyes are different. Even a mild burn to the eye can blind a person."

Leia recoiled, stepping back with renewed shame. "Oh. I didn't want to blind him." _Even if he does deserve it,_ she thought to herself.

Anakin let out a short sigh. "I know. But Leia...you were angry. I could sense it. No doubt Master Calon could, too"

Leia couldn't deny what her father had sensed. She nodded, hanging her head.

Anakin took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Leia, you know that anger, fear, and aggression can lead to the Dark Side. Today you let your anger control you. The reason you felt so cold after you hurt Derik was because you were using the Dark Side."

 _The Dark Side._ The idea was repellent to every Jedi in the temple, and the source of nightmares for some. Leia gasped _. I used the Dark Side?_ Tears of remorse and horror stung her eyes. "No...I swear I didn't want to...but I was just...so tired of...of Derik's bullying. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and turned away from her father, hunching her shoulders. "Will you forgive me?"

As a father, Anakin's heart was pained for her daughter. As a teacher, he could see the remorse in her eyes. As a Jedi, the fact that Leia had touched the Dark Side at all concerned him. But of course it would do not good to scold her any further. Circumstances had already punished her enough. So he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes. I love you, and I understand. I only hope you understand how serious this is."

Leia stemmed her tears before turning to meet her father's eyes. "Is Derik really going to be blind in one eye?"

Anakin shrugged. "I don't know, but the best healers in the galaxy are here at the Temple."

Further instruction was interrupted by Luke, who came running up the hall. He skidded to a stop in front of his sister. "Leia...you...what happened?"

Anakin grimaced before turning to his son with raised eyebrows. "I think you already know. You could sense it, couldn't you?"

Luke nodded, looking uneasily at Leia. "She...you were angry...it was so cold..." he shuddered, not wanting to dwell on the subject. "Is Derik going to be all right?"

"Yes, he'll be fine," assured Anakin. "He may lose a little vision in his eye, but he'll be fine."

"Ouch. He's kind of a pain, but..." Luke sighed. He hated seeing anyone hurt. Blue eyes flicked back to Leia. "Are _you_ all right?"

"I will be." Leia nodded. Together the trio began walking toward the Youngling's living quarters. "Is Master Calon going to tell the Council what happened?"

"He has to. You injured a fellow student and tapped into the Dark Side."

"But I didn't mean to!"

"It still demonstrates a lack of control that must be dealt with." Anakin shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Leia."

"What are they going to do?" Leia wanted to know.

Anakin sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "But in the meantime, it's my responsibility to correct you."

The girl hung her head and nodded. "I understand. What are you going to do?"

Anakin cringed. She made it sound as though he was going to hurt her. "I'm not going to do anything _to_ you. But I do think it's time we had a talk. I'm sorry, Luke," he added, turning to the boy. "It's just going to be Leia and I this time."

Luke's face fell, but he didn't argue. Sadly he watched as his sister and father went into the room that the twins shared and shut the door behind him.

The Skywalker twins had been sharing a room ever since they were born. As they grew, they had never requested their own rooms. While there was a curtain that ran the length of the room for privacy, that was the extent of their separation. It was the same at home.

Anakin had thought for some time that his children were getting too old to be sharing a room, but so far they respected one another's privacy and liked the proximity to each other. That was likely to change soon. In another year and a half, Luke and Leia would be teenagers. Anakin and Padme already had plans to divide the twin's room in half with a wall.

Youngling's living quarters were Spartan in design, with only the basics that the children needed. There was typically a bed, a clothing locker, storage beneath the bed, a window, and a cushioned stool to sit on. In Luke and Leia's room all but the window had been doubled, making it rather cramped.

Leia bit her lip as she stood in a parade rest by her bed.

Anakin sat down on the stool, which was almost comically short for him, and motioned to the bed. "Go ahead and sit down, Leia."

Leia obeyed, still chewing her lip with nerves.

Anakin took a deep breath before he began. "Leia...I'm sure you know how disappointed I am in you."

The girl nodded. She could sense his disappointment from across the room. "Yes, Father. I'm sorry."

"I know. But more than that, I'm concerned. You tapped into something very dangerous today. Anger is a powerful and potentially destructive emotion. Once you give in to it, it's easy to give in again," explained Anakin. "And the more you give in, the more difficult it becomes to control."

"I know that. You and the rest of the Jedi have been teaching us since we were little," sighed Leia.

"Knowing something is one thing; putting it into practice is another."

"Then how can you keep from getting angry in the first place? Are you just supposed to turn everything off?" Leia wanted to know. There was frustration in her tone.

Anakin smiled without humor. "That's exactly what I wondered when I was training as a Padawan. Even the Jedi Code says, 'there is no emotion, there is peace'. I thought they were only lying to themselves and us by saying that emotions either don't exist or have no place in a Jedi's life. Jedi are only mortal, imperfect people who have an affinity for the Force and have trained their entire lives to use it to better the lives of others. We have emotions just like everyone else."

Leia knit her brows. "So, according to the code, emotions are the problem?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, but they were seen as something that needed to be suppressed. Personally I don't believe that. Not all emotions are negative. Love, for example." He sighed. "The point isn't to stop feeling. If we can't feel compassion for those we're trying to help, then there's not much point to what we do as Jedi." He reached out to take Leia's hands. "The point is to learn control over your emotions rather than letting them control you."

Leia slouched in her bed. "How?"

The Jedi Master couldn't help but grimace in remembering his own struggle with negative emotions. "It isn't easy, and it doesn't happen overnight. A good way to start is to practice your breathing."

Leia frowned. "What if that doesn't work?"

"Have you tried?"

"Master Yoda says there is no try."

Again Anakin's mouth twitched. Had the situation been different, he would have laughed. _Yoda must have used that line on every Jedi for the past eight hundred years._ "He only means not to do anything halfway, or believing that it can't be done. And he's right. Here; we'll start right now. Close your eyes."

Leia, still in a disturbed state of mind, closed her eyes with a sigh.

Anakin rose and walked over to his daughter, sitting beside her and resting a hand on her shoulder. "First I want you to think of how you felt when you were sparring with Derik. Do you remember?"

Immediately the girl's brows knit. Her face tensed as she clenched her jaw. "I thought...we were going to learn to control anger...not make it worse."

"Don't dwell on those feelings. Start with basic meditation. Control is much easier to accomplish when you're calm."

Leia nodded. Deep, even breaths flowed into and out of her lungs at a slow and steady rate. Meditation had been learned at the age of three and was as easy as walking. The difficulty was in clearing her mind.

"Good...just breathe..." Anakin's voice dropped into a low drone as he watched his daughter reach for the calm she so desperately needed. "Now...the feelings of anger...fear...impatience...imagine them as a bundle of thorny bushes. The good thoughts, of calm, compassion, love...those are flowers. What needs to be done to keep the weeds from choking the flowers?"

"Pull them up," murmured Leia, brows knit with concentration.

"Exactly. Now go through your garden, and pull up every weed you see."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

'Weeding the garden' took time. Some of her feelings of anger had been growing for a time and so were more difficult to remove. It was exhausting, and in time Anakin called a halt and asked Leia to rest. At that point he left her alone. As per the orders of Mastor Calon, she remained alone in her quarters for the rest of the day until Luke turned in. He found Leia tired and unwilling to speak much. She wasn't sure she'd pulled every weed yet...she wasn't even sure she wanted to.

After breakfast, Anakin found his daughter and gave her a message. "The Council has requested your presence," he said.

Leia felt the blood drain from her face. She never looked forward to going before the High Council. Feeling twelve pairs of eyes see right through her was very unnerving. _Oh, no. This is it._ "Just me?"

"Yes. Just you," nodded Anakin. "Go ahead. I can't walk in with you, but I can walk you there."

"Can I come?" asked Luke, coming up from behind.

"Yes, but remember, Leia has to meet the Council alone," reminded Anakin.

Luke, though unhappy, nodded. In the meantime he walked with an arm around his sister to offer both physical and emotional support.

By the time the Skywalkers had reached the top of the tower of the Jedi High Council, Leia's mind was working overtime. _Are they going to expel me? Send me to the Agri-Corps?_ It was difficult not to show the utter misery on her face at the prospect.

Anakin gave his daughter's left shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "It'll be all right. There's nothing to be afraid of. Just be respectful and honest."

Leia frowned a little at that last pointer before breaking free and striding for the door. She paused, took a deep breath, and waved her hand before the door control. It slid aside.


	6. Summoned

Waiting in the rotunda were twelve very solemn Jedi Masters. None of them even hinted at a smile. Some were openly frowning. Obi-Wan Kenobi looked both disappointed and concerned. Others, like Ki-Adi Mundi and Yoda, were utterly unreadable.

Luke had said he liked Yoda. While the shriveled green elf was a hard taskmaster in the classes he taught and his backwards-speak was sometimes hard to understand, Yoda had also proven he had a good sense of humor. Leia found him the most intimidating of the Council members and preferred the company of Obi-Wan. Something told her she did not have a sympathetic audience.

Leia's stomach churned as she moved to stand in the center of the elaborately-tiled floor and gave the Council a respectful bow. "You sent for me, Masters?"

Mace Windu's multiplying wrinkles added to his serious countenance as he nodded. "Yes we have, Leia Skywalker."

Yoda nodded gravely. "Told us, Master Calon did, of your sparring session yesterday."

Leia bowed her head in shame. They certainly weren't wasting any time in getting to the point.

Plo Koon, his clawed fingers typically steepled, regarded Leia with patience. "Would you care to explain what happened in your own words, young Leia?"

Leia turned to the quiet Kel Dor with knit brows. "With respect, Master Plo, why do you need to hear it from me? Master Calon already told you."

Ki-Adi Mundi tilted his cone-shaped head to one side. "True enough, young Leia, but for a fair judgment, more than one perspective is needed."

Plo Koon nodded. "Explain, Leia. The ears of the Council are open."

For a long moment Leia was tempted to stretch the truth...to say that hurting Derik had been an accident...but that would have been pointless. Yoda and perhaps others had the ability to sense when someone was lying. Perjury before the High Council would only serve to lower their opinion of Leia, and perhaps worsen her sentence.

And she didn't want to lie to Obi-Wan. He was her father's best friend. So, taking a deep breath, Leia began. "We were sparring tournament-style. In the semifinals I was paired with Derik Andress."

"One whom you dislike?" asked Mace with pursed lips.

"Yes, Master. He makes a game of teasing my brother and I," blurted Leia. It was something of a relief to finally be able to tell someone about Derik's faults.

"He did so during your spar?"

"He was toying with me, Master, as he always does when we are paired together. He takes pleasure in inflicting pain on my brother and I."

Yoda and Obi-Wan exchanged troubled looks. Apparently this was the first they had heard of Derik's antics. "Know this, do you?"

Leia flinched. "Well...yes, master. I can see it in his eyes."

The diminutive green being leaned forward to rest his chin on his gimer stick. "Mm. Collaborate, others can?"

Here the girl grimaced. "I'm...not sure, Master Yoda. I don't know that others have noticed."

Mace frowned and leaned back into his seat with something of an impatient sigh. "Continue."

Leia moistened her lips. "Derik outclassed me from the beginning. He could have ended the spar at any time. I got impatient and wanted to end the spar...so I used my anger to attack him."

Mace didn't look surprised. Rather he exchanged knowing glances with his fellow Council members. "Go on."

The gazes of elders seemed to intensify. Leia squirmed at both her feelings and the intense scrutiny. "Derik knocked me over. I kicked him in the knee and then slashed at his eye with the training lightsaber." When nothing else was said, the girl squirmed. "I know I was wrong, Masters."

Yoda frowned at the girl. "Mmm. Retreated, young Andress had?"

Leia nodded. "Yes, Master."

"And yet you attacked him anyway?" questioned Mace.

"Yes, Master," admitted Leia. She had been trying not to think of Derik's retreat. It made her actions seem all the more brutal. "I was just so...angry."

"You could have landed a Mark of Contact elsewhere and ended the spar there," pointed out Obi-Wan.

Leia could only shrug. Just landing a Mark of contact hadn't been her goal. She had wanted to hurt Derik. But how could she admit that to the High Council?

Mace shook his head in disappointment. "First rendering your opponent incapable of escape and then burning his eye was unnecessary. But that is not the main issue here." The dark-skinned Jedi leaned forward to look Leia in the eye. "For a moment, you tapped into the Dark Side. Is this true?"

At the moment Leia would have given anything just to crawl into a hole. She had to nod. "Yes, Master."

Yoda gave Leia a hard look. "A serious infraction, this is, young Leia. Taught you have been since infancy of the dangers of the Dark Side. Have you not?"

Again Leia nodded. "Yes, Master Yoda. I know the dangers of the Dark Side."

The green Grand Master pursed his lips. "Told, you have been. But listened well enough, you have not."

Leia flinched at the accusation. "But Master, I didn't mean to use the Dark Side. It wasn't a choice. One moment I was in control, and the next...I wasn't." She found her eyes stinging. "I'm truly sorry."

Yoda tapped his cane on the floor. "Mmm. Yes. Control! Taught this, you have been. If understand you do not, then perhaps...not properly taught, were you?"

Mace nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps allowing Skywalker to oversee the training of his children was a mistake," the man mused quietly.

Heat flooded Leia's cheeks. "No!" When the twelve Council members turned to her sharply, she shrank back and cleared her throat in embarrassment. "Forgive me. But the fault is not with my father."

No one looked very surprised that the girl had so quickly defended her father.

"Young, you are, Leia Skywalker," Yoda pointed out. "Know you better than this Council, do you?" he asked with lifted eyebrows.

"No, Master Yoda. I'm only saying that my father, Anakin Skywalker, has not been deficient in training my brother and I. He is not to blame for my failure," pleaded the girl. Even if she got into trouble, the last thing Leia wanted was for her father to share in it.

Ki-Adi turned to Leia with interest. "What, then, have you learned from your father? What would you say has been his most important lesson?"

Leia straightened her spine. "My Father has taught my brother and I that being a Jedi does not make you any better than anyone else. Having the Force does not give you permission to use it for your own ends. It gives you the responsibility to make the galaxy better for everyone."

Several Council members, such as Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto, exchanged surprised looks. Others simply nodded.

Mace gave another nod. "Valuable lessons. Unfortunately it seems as though you still have much to learn in regards to using the Force selfishly."

 _They're right._ Leia nodded as humbly as she could. "Yes, Master. I have no excuse." Here she turned about to meet the eyes of every member of the Council. "For my failure in the sparring arena, I can only apologize and promise that it won't happen again. Whatever judgment the Council wishes to pass, I'll accept without argument." The girl crossed her hands behind her back and bowed her head to wait. Perhaps they thought her too dramatic, or too impulsive, or... _I don't care what they think of me, as long as they don't send me away. Please don't separate me from my father and brother!_ It was this, not the idea of no longer being a Jedi, that troubled Leia most. She did want to be a Jedi...but that was mostly to please her father and learn how to control her abilities. There were times when the Force frightened her.

A long moment of silence passed in the Council chambers. All twelve Jedi Masters looked at each other with thoughtful expressions, perhaps exchanging thoughts over what her fate should be. They could sense Leia's impatience.

After what seemed like nearly half an hour, Yoda peered at the young student. "Wish you to become Jedi, young Leia?"

Leia lifted her head with a nod. "Yes, Master. I want to be a Jedi more than anything."

The green gnome tilted his head toward her with raised brows. "Mm. Strong you are with the Force, young Leia. But turn you must from anger, from fear, from aggression. The Dark Side, are they. Once you start down the dark path, consume you, it will."

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. "The Dark Side only leads to suffering, both yours and those around you."

A chill danced down Leia's spine. She suppressed a shudder and managed another nod. "I understand, Master."

Mace lifted his brows. "I hope you do. Are you willing to make the commitment needed to remain in the light and become a Jedi?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then I believe our decision is made."

Leia listened intently, trying not to show how nervous she was. Were they still going to expel her? Send her to the Agri-Corps?

Mace turned to his left and right before taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair to meet Leia's eyes. "Leia Skywalker. You have demonstrated a disturbing lack of control in the injuring of a fellow student, and the brief touch of the Dark Side. However," he added, lifting his brows, "you have also shown understanding in both your error and an acceptance of correction. Therefore, it is the decision of this Council that, in order to learn better control of your emotions, you remain in the Jedi Order and continue your training."

Leia's head snapped back up, her eyes widening in surprise. _They're letting me stay?_ Gratitude so great that it nearly weakened Leia's knees flooded her. She let out the breath she had been holding. "Thank you, Masters."

Yoda pursed his green lips. "But consequences, there will be, for your actions." He nodded to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, hands on knees. "Leia, you are not to attend lightsaber training classes for the next two weeks. During that class period you are to volunteer your services in the Temple Infirmary and assist the Healers. Until such time as he is released, your primary focus shall be on Derik Andress."

Leia fought back the grimace in thinking of that unpleasant task. No doubt Derik would milk his injury for all it was worth. She nodded in response. "Understood, Master Kenobi."

Yoda shifted his weight back into his cushioned seat and seemed to relax. "Entrusted you are, young Leia, to continue to learn and grow in the Force. Wait outside, your family does?" he asked with a touch of humor.

For a moment Leia was surprised, then scolded herself for it. _She_ could still sense Anakin and Luke waiting outside. Master Yoda was said to have the ability to sense all Jedi across the galaxy if he so wished. When one was injured, he knew. When one died, he grieved. He had trained them all and remembered them all. Sensing two outside the door was as simple as blinking. "Y-yes, Master."

Yoda nodded toward the door. "Go to them, then. Dismissed you are. And tell your father and brother that we wish also to speak with them."

 _He's going to let Luke take the Initiate Trials early,_ thought Leia wistfully. She bowed to the Council. "Understood, Master Yoda. I'll tell them."

"May the Force be with you."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Luke and Anakin were just as surprised to hear that the Council wanted to see them as Leia had been to hear she was allowed to stay in the Jedi Order. Luke was left in suspense over what the Council had decided to do with Leia and threw a wistful glance over his shoulder as the doors slid shut.

For lack of further instructions- and out of curiosity -Leia waited outside the Council chambers for Luke and Anakin to emerge. As the minutes ticked by she tried to meditate without much success. Her mind kept wandering as to why both father and brother had been summoned. Should she have gone in with them? Neither Yoda nor anyone else had said one way or the other.

Just as Leia had dropped into a cross-legged meditation position and closed her eyes, the doors slid open to reveal a stunned Anakin and a widely-grinning Luke.

Thinking her suppositions had been proved right, Leia forced a smile for them. "What did they say?"

"Dad's going to train us!" blurted Luke ecstatically. "Not just as Younglings; we're going to be his apprentices... _both_ of us!"

"What?" Leia took a step back as her jaw hung open. "I thought it was forbidden for one master to train more than one apprentice at a time."

"I thought so, too," admitted Anakin. Apparently he was just as shocked as his children.

"Can you imagine, Leia? We get to explore the galaxy with Dad!" Luke laughed for sheer joy.

"Don't get too excited, now. This is only on a trial basis. You're still going to have to take the Initiate Trials when the time comes," said Anakin with a quick smile. He turned to Leia. "And we're not going anywhere until Leia's restriction is up."

"They told you?" Leia asked with a sigh.

"Yes. I think it's very fair." Anakin smoothed over his expression with another smile. "Well, we have a little time before your next class. How about we call your mother and tell her? Maybe that will keep you from bouncing off the walls in Conditioning."

Luke chuckled as his father rumpled his hair and stuck close as they headed down the turbolift.

Leia's feelings were still mixed. She was happy to have her father as a Master and thankful for the Council's mercy in deciding her punishment, but as Master Yoda said, the future was always in motion. They would be watching her and her family closer than ever now. Leia could only hope to live up to the expectations.


	7. Negotiations

It had not taken long for the Council to give Anakin and the twins their first excursion outside the Temple. Two weeks to the day after the news had come and Leia had completed her service in the Infirmary, the mission was assigned. It looked fairly straightforward on a data screen; negotiate an agreement between the Balmorra natives and a group of Weequay colonists. The Council saw it as an excellent way for a pair of young Padawans to get their feet wet in the galaxy. Mediating disputes was standard practice for Jedi. The only instructions that Anakin had for Luke and Leia were to call him 'Master' instead of 'father'. That would take some getting used to on both sides.

Perhaps he was using undo caution in concealing the fact that his apprentices were his children. The Council had not even mentioned the idea. But being one of the most famous Jedi who ever lived painted a target on his back. He did not want that target extending to Luke and Leia. They were more vulnerable than he was.

Thus far the mission had gone even better than expected. The native Balmorrans were a naturally forgiving people and had nothing but respect for the Jedi. The Weequay, while stubborn and at times surly, weren't about to argue with the man who held a lightsaber.

The children behaved themselves fairly well. Luke, for the most part, kept his mouth shut and bowed when he was supposed to, though his growing boredom was obvious.

It was Leia who contributed most to the mission. Her natural people skills had a calming influence on both parties, and yet she showed no fear to the Weequay when they raised a protest.

After six long hours of discussion, an agreement was reached. The Weequay colonists could take the low forests and meadows while the Balmorrans could keep their farmland in the high mountains. Both parties could trade with each other for needed supplies and in return would not encroach on the other's property.

It was nearing sunset in the neutral territory of Balmorra. The Weequay had left the stony valley to set up their camp and Anakin was exchanging farewells with the village leader while Luke and Leia had followed one of the Balmorra youths up a cliff face after being challenged to climb it.

Rock climbing was not part of the mission. The excuse Luke gave for the excursion was 'cultural exchange'. The climb was seen as a bit of a rite of passage for the youths of Balmorra; when one could climb all the way to the top of the fifty-meter cliff without the aid of a rope, they were considered an adult. Reluctantly Anakin agreed, but Luke and Leia were only to go about ten meters up- to the first shelf - before coming back down. Anakin kept them in sight at a distance of roughly fifty meters. That gave him plenty of time to help his children if they ran into trouble.

"We shank Jedi Shkywalker for hish shkilled negotiationsh," said Mishak Fenn, the leader of the Balmorran delegation. Balmorrans were a short, squat species whose adults stood only as all as Luke, with skin tones ranging from dusky gray to olive green. Their faces looked like a cross between Toydarians and Gamorreans, but their body types more closely resembled Ugnaughts. Large tusks on both jaw and mandible- on the males -accounted for their peculiar accent. Their arms were disproportionately large and hung nearly to their knees, giving them a rather intimidating appearance. They could waddle short distances on their squat legs but preferred leaping forward, landing on their callused knuckles, and swinging forward through their arms. This anatomy made them natural climbers.

"It was our pleasure, Mishak Fenn," said Anakin with a pleasant bow. "We shall be returning soon to be sure both sides keep their end of the bargain."

"Jedi Shywalker ish mosht generoush wish his time," nodded Mishak Fenn. "He ish welcome at all timesh, ash are hish Padawansh."

"Thank you. I hope everything works out for you."

"Would Shkywalker honor ush by shtaying for evening meal?"

Anakin politely shook his head. "No, thank you. My Padawans and I must return to the Temple."

Mishak shrugged his massive shoulders. "Shome osher time, den." He turned his head to watch Luke and Leia reach the first shelf in triumph. "May Mishak trouble Jedi Shkywalker wish a queshton?"

Anakin nodded. "It's no trouble. What would you like to ask?"

The short Balmorran tilted his head to one side. "Do not Jedi have one Padawan? Are dere fewer mashtersh shinshe de Clone Warsh?"

Anakin's mouth twitched to one side. "No...but there have been changes in the Jedi Order."

Mishak lifted an eyebrow with good humor. "Ahh. Jedi Shkywalker musht be shkilled if he takesh on two." He nodded toward Leia. "De young female...she shpeaks wish ashority desphpite her age. Mishak ish indebted to her for her shkillsh."

Anakin couldn't help but feel pride at his daughter's accomplishments. "She is still learning...but I think she's found her strength in dealing peacefully with others." He was about to call Luke and Leia down from their perch when there was a sudden prickling at the back of his neck. _Danger_ , it warned. His smile faded into a frown and considered getting closer to his children.

Before Anakin could follow through on this feeling, the whine of a starship rose in the distance. Both he and his host turned to see not one but several ships of haphazard design approaching at a fast clip. The first was soon visible as the same ship in which the Weequay delegation had departed less than an hour before.

Mishak knit his hairless brows. "Hmm. Dey left wish one yet return wish shree? Were dey not going to shet up camp on dere agreed portion?"

Anakin nodded slowly, hand drifting toward the hilt of his lightsaber. "Apparently not." His frown deepened upon seeing that each ship's cannons were leveled squarely at them. "This doesn't look good." He beckoned to his children. Luke and Leia made easy targets while on the cliff. _Come down. There may be trouble._

The children, having seen the approaching ships and perhaps sensed the same danger that their father had, were already on their way down.

With a low whine and a spray of sand, the Weequay ships landed. When the ramp loaded, the leader of the delegation, known as Donko Akama, stood there with some nine or ten others behind him, each cradling a dangerous-looking blaster.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" Anakin asked as evenly as he could.

"Problem? No! 'Course not," laughed Donko. "Mishak! My newest friend. How are you?"

"Mishak shpoke wish Donko not one hour ago. Donko tellsh ush he unpacksh. Why he return sho shoon?" asked Mishak with a frown.

"Ah, yes. That is a question, isn't it?" Donko fingered the blaster at his hip. "It is simply this; my people need more land than you have given us."

Mishak's eyes widened in disbelief. "Dish hash been shettled. Donko hash already agreed to de termsh."

Anakin took a step forward to stand protectively in front of his host. "You signed a legal contract. Reneging on it now means you forfeit any rights to the land you have already been given."

Mishak motioned to his accomplices. "My friends do not care what is legal. Neither do I."

Anakin hazarded a glance over his shoulder to check his children's progress and was relieved to see they were nearly down. He mentally urged them to hurry up and get under cover. He turned back to Donko with a suspiciously-raised eyebrow. "The bargaining has already been done. You agreed to the terms already set forth and so have the Balmorrans."

Donko's pandering smile faded and he gave an exaggerated sigh. "I had hoped it would not come to this. But since you will not bargain, I will have to demand that the Balmorrans give up all that we ask. Do this," said Donko, drawing his blaster and motioning for the others to do the same, "and there will be no hard feelings."

Mishak stumbled backward in surprise, cheeks puffing with anger. "Donko Akama hash no right to make shush demandsh!"

Quickly Anakin got in front of his host and ignited his saber, dropping into a ready stance. "Stand down, Donko. I don't want to hurt you or your men."

Donko snickered and spoke harsh alien words into a handheld commlink. The rear hatches of the other two transports opened immediately, revealing ten additional well-armed Weequay per ship. All of them pointed blaster rifles directly at Anakin, his host, and Mishak's two associates. "You are mistaken, my Jedi friend. By my estimation, this leaves you outnumbered ten to one. It is _you_ who must stand down."

Anakin sized up the number of pirates and felt his heart sink. _This is not good._ It was an effort not to show the unease he felt at the long odds. The Jedi had faced greater numbers before, but only against droids. Disarming thirty pirates was not quite possible at once. He would only be able to render about half of them harmless before either he or someone he was protecting would be wounded. It depended on how accurate the pirates were. "Don't be foolish, Donko. As a representative of both the Jedi Order and the Republic, I must order you to withdraw your men. I don't want anyone hurt, and I don't think you do, either. Lay down your arms and we'll talk."

"The time for talk is over!" snarled Donko. "You give us what we want, or we will take it!"

"DAD!" cried Luke, breaking into a run some thirty meters away from the fray. Leia was hard on his heels.

"You two stay back," warned Anakin, grimacing at the fact that the secret was out.

"'Dad'?" Donko's blaster wavered in confusion as he looked from Anakin to the twins. A cruel, knowing smile blossomed on his heavily wrinkled face. "Of course...the Jedi do not take more than one apprentice. They are not your padawans. They are your children, Jedi Skywalker. No doubt you would do anything to protect them."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "Leave them out of this. Either you and your accomplices come quietly, or I can't guarantee your safety."

Donko laughed derisively. "Even you cannot defeat all of us. Sooner or later you will have to surrender...or risk the lives of your children." He threw a glance to the angry and fearful twins before giving an unconcerned shrug. "Enough talk. Now we see if you are as good a Jedi as I have heard." With that, he leveled his blaster and fired.

Immediately Anakin brought his saber up to block the bolt...and the two-dozen others that followed. Mishak and the Balmorrans dropped to the ground with squeals while the children yelled in alarm. Anakin's blade whirled faster than a windmill on Kupo. "Luke...Leia, run! Get under cover!"

Luke and Leia had dropped to the ground a half second before the shooting had started and exchanged a look of determination. As one they called on the Force and reached out their hands toward the pirates.

One surprised individual suddenly had his legs knocked out from under him and his blaster torn from his grip. As Anakin was occupied in blocking blaster bolts, the pirates soon knew the culprits. Several began firing at the children.

Anakin Force-pushed those individuals back into one of their ships and shut the door behind them before glancing at his twins. "I said run! NOW!" He had to turn around immediately after to keep blocking the hail of blaster bolts as they flew at him.

When one bolt missed Luke by only a handbreadth, the boy grabbed Leia's hand and scrambled backwards. The twins ran back to the rock face they had just exited and dove behind an outcropping at the base of the cliff.

 _Good_. Anakin could now focus on disarming the pirates. By this time they had begun to scatter, so he hardly had time to do anything more than deflect. Three returned to those who had fired, who fell with cries. One reason Anakin did not simply take all of them out at once was because of the bystanders and the fact that doing so might end up killing a pirate or two. Speed was abandoned in favor of accuracy.

Seconds became minutes. A handful of pirates, having had their blasters torn out of their hands and subsequently sliced in two, turned and fled back into one of the ships, powering it up. Another five followed suit with the second ship.

Anakin almost smiled. That was one way to even the odds. When only two armed pirates remained he sank back on his heels and pulled their blasters out of their hands. One cried out in terror and pounded on the closed hatch of the first ship, begging for the others to let him in.

The last pirate was none other than Donko, whose dark eyes were wide with astonishment. "So...the stories are true," he mused.

After the brief but intense workout with both mind and body, Anakin was breathing heavily as he pointed his saber at Donko's chest. "Glad to give you a demonstration. Now...what was that about being outnumbered?"

Donko glared as he regarded his comrades. Those that remained- about eight -sat nursing blaster burns to arms and legs. None of them were in any hurry to get closer to the Jedi. The Weequay cursed his bad luck and threw a dirty glance to the sky. "Cowards." Dark eyes returned to Anakin. "Are you going to kill me, or allow me to go on my way?"

Anakin blew out a short breath as he pulled away and deactivated his lightsaber. "Neither. You and your accomplices will have very comfortable accommodations on the nearest Republic outpost."

Donko tried to laugh...and failed. "Prison?! On what charges?"

"Failure to honor a treaty and attempted murder of a Republic emissary," replied Anakin.

"Faugh!" Donko spat in disgust. "I knew I could not kill you. The only mistake I made was underestimating you...and your children." He shifted his gaze to the now-emerging Luke and Leia.

"We'll take that as a compliment," said Anakin with a smile. He gave a look of pride to his twins, and held out his open palm when they tried to come to him. "Just a minute. Let me get these thugs out of the way first."

It was the wrong thing to say in the presence of a live pirate. Donko growled, then noticed just where Luke and Leia were standing...and smiled. A small device was pulled out of his vest. "You are powerful, Skywalker, but even you cannot see everything."

Anakin whirled around just in time to see Donko press a small red button on what looked like a palm-sized detonation device. A low rumble like distant thunder from the top of the cliff made the Jedi gape in horror. There was a puff of smoke and dust before the rumble became a roar. A large chunk of the plateau gave way and began sliding down the cliff...headed directly for Luke and Leia.

Anakin felt his heart fall with it. "NO!" There was no time to deal with Donko now. He knew he was too far away to reach them in time, even with his Force-enhanced speed. Though both Luke and Leia were running, they would never outrun the landslide. Anakin called on the Force, willing it to form a shield around his children.

The weight of the falling rocks had to be that of a small freighter. It was twice as big as anything Anakin had ever moved and ten times as big as anything he had ever stopped mid-transit. _Size matters not._ Yoda's voice reverberated in his head. Nothing was impossible for the Force.

This did not make the sense of danger lessen. Anakin had a sickening feeling he might not stop them before they came down on his children's heads. "Get down!" he shouted as the rocks neared Luke and Leia. The man strained, reaching with both arms, begging for the rocks to stop in time. A brief flash of pain from one increased the sense of urgency. The landslide was only a meter above the children when it finally came to a stop in midair. Slowly he moved the pile aside until it was well away from Luke and Leia before letting go. The noise was deafening as the rocks collapsed in on themselves.

Anakin shuddered and closed his eyes. Limbs trembled both from effort and relief. He had done it...and it had taken a lot out of him. His mind and muscles begged for rest.

The cry of anguish from Luke erased such thoughts. Neither child was trying to come to him. Both lay on the ground.

 _They're hurt._ Anakin sucked in a deep breath and set off for them at a jog. "Luke! Leia!"

Leia lay on her back, cradling her right arm as Luke hovered protectively near her. Both twins stared at their father with gaping mouths and wide eyes. Neither had seen him accomplish such feats before. "Dad...?" Luke ventured.

Anakin squeezed his son in sheer relief at finding him in one piece. "Luke, are you all right?"

Luke nodded as he pulled away. "Yeah. I'm not hurt. Leia is." The boy's voice choked as he turned to his sister.

"I know. It's all right. Leia?" Anakin turned to his daughter and immediately winced in sympathy. There was something wrong with her right arm. Gently he rolled up her sleeve. Even without the darkening bruise, the swelling, and the unnatural angle, Anakin knew it was broken. He felt as if his heart was broken with it. _I didn't stop all the stones, and now my little girl is hurt._ "Oh, Leia."

Leia's eyes were filled with fear as she stared at her father. "He...got away."

"What?"

"Donko. He got away."

Anakin looked over his shoulder to see that Leia was right. Donko had apparently used the distraction of the landslide to get back into his ship and take off. Now only the wounded pirates were left. A fantasy of which limbs Anakin planned to remove if he ever saw the promise-breaking coward again was brief. "Don't worry about him. Lie still," he added, hand on the girl's shoulder when she tried to sit up.

Several tears slid down Luke's face as he held Leia's free hand. He turned to his father. "You can fix her, can't you, Dad?"

The Jedi grimaced. He knew enough to set and splint broken bones. Unfortunately he wasn't so good at pain relief, and couldn't heal anything more than minor cuts and burns with the Force. Wishing in vain for a medical droid, Anakin could only shrug. "Luke, I'm not a Healer. I'm sorry. But don't worry. Leia's going to be fine. Can you run to the ship for me and bring the medic-kit?"

Luke nodded eagerly and leapt to his feet. The boy was off like a shot.

The delegation of Balmorrans, meanwhile, gathered close with worried expressions. "Shkywalker daughter ish injured?"

"Yes, she is," admitted Anakin. He frowned when his daughter tried once more to rise. "Leia, lie down."

"Mishak shorry of hurt. Mishak Fenn and Balmorra indebted to Leia." Mishak tapped his long fingers over hairless brows and bowed low.

"Why?" Leia panted. "It didn't work."

"No matter. Ish fault of coward Weequay Donko Akama. Mishak Fenn musht honor Jedi. Shall we get healer from village?"

Anakin spared them a brief smile. "Thank you, Mishak. But no. She'll be fine as soon as I can get her back to Coruscant." He turned back to his daughter with misting eyes. "Leia, your arm is broken. I have to set it before you can move."

Leia's eyes widened with fear. She shook her head. After what she had just seen her father do, the girl wasn't quite sure of him anymore. That kind of power was frightening. "The Temple...the Healers, they could do it."

Anakin's heart ached for his daughter. "No. If you move too much before it's set, you could make it worse." He smoothed her mussed hair. Hurt and confusion arose when Leia pulled away from him. He could sense his daughter's fear, but didn't understand the reason. "It'll only take a few seconds."

Leia turned to meet her father's eyes. There was nothing frightening there, only love and reassurance...and guilt. Uncertainty faded. By not trusting her father, she was hurting him. Luke could sense her pain, so the longer Leia hurt, the longer her brother would. And the longer she hesitated, the longer it would be before they could get off this planet and go home.

Leia finally nodded.

 _Thank the Force._ Anakin took a deep breath to calm his own nerves. "All right. Just breathe." He cradled Leia's arm in his and held his free hand, palm open and down, over the breaks. Blue eyes drifted shut as he reached out to the Force. As gently as was possible, Anakin nudged the bones back into their rightful places. Two clicks informed him of his success.

Leia stiffened for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut, sucking in a sharp breath through her nose. It had hurt less to break her arm than to have it set.

Anakin wished he could cry for her. She was trying so hard not to. "I know. Hold on." He took the splint from a wobbly-lipped Luke and secured it to Leia's arm. Only then would he let her sit up and get to her feet. The smile he gave was more for her. _So much for our first mission,_ he thought, surveying the pile of groaning ne'er-do-well's.

The treaty had not been honored. More than half of the pirates had escaped. His daughter had been injured. She and her brother barely escaped death.

While thankful beyond measure for the lives of his children and very proud of how they had behaved, Anakin still considered their first mission together a dismal failure.


	8. Blame

The Jedi Temple's infirmary was among the best in the galaxy. Aided both by modern technology and the Force, the healers and medical droids within were known for working miracles. They could perform surgery that was too dangerous for non-Force users, revive patients that other physicians had given up on, and even repair some types of brain damage that most had deemed irreparable. During the Clone Wars their numbers had been depleted, so for a time no patients outside the Jedi Order were admitted. In the ten years that had followed they had finally added enough Healers and healing apprentices to begin sending them outside the Temple.

Comparatively speaking an arm broken at both radius and ulna was almost as simple as a cut. Once set, the affected limb would be soaked in bacta for several hours to begin knitting the bones together. A Healer would then use the Force to accelerate the process and ease the worst of the pain. Depending on the severity of the injury- and how much they rested -the patient could be healed in as little as one standard week; a full week faster than outside the Temple.

Anakin knew this. He had been well-acquainted with the Infirmary during the Clone Wars, most notably after he had lost his right arm to Count Dooku and during the reattachment of his left leg after it had been severed during the final duel with Palpatine. But still he felt a deep sense of agitation as he sat in the waiting room in anticipation of seeing his daughter. He wanted to pace, tap his foot, twiddle his thumbs, or do anything but sit there like a calm Jedi Master was expected to _. Be still,_ he told himself firmly. _You aren't going to help anyone by wearing a hole in the floor._

Leia had been quiet during the trip back to Coruscant. Anakin insisted she lie still in one of the bunks. She didn't like that at all. While in pain, the girl grumbled more about her father and brother's fussing than her arm.

Luke had been in tears for half of the trip home. He made an absolute pest of himself in keeping his sister company and asking if there was anything she wanted. A half dozen times since Leia had been taken back to the Healers, he asked if his sister was going to be all right. Anakin knew that if he showed how agitated he was, it could make Luke even worse.

Luke didn't look very worried at the moment. He sat in an attitude of meditation with his eyes closed and his arms slack, brows knit in concentration.

Anakin's mouth twitched into a partial smile. He was the one who had suggested Luke calm down and try to sense Leia with the Force. As long as he could sense her, he'd know she was fine. Apparently it had worked. _I should be following my son's example,_ he thought with a light sigh.

He could already sense Leia somewhere in the treatment portion of the Infirmary. She was still in pain, but it had eased gradually over the last two hours until receding to no more than a dull ache.

Anakin hated nothing more than knowing someone he loved was hurting, but in this case it wasn't the injury itself that had him most upset. It was the knowledge that his daughter had been injured while in his care. Over and over Anakin had reviewed what he should have done differently to prevent it. He should have sensed the charges set at the top of the cliff, set to sabotage the meeting had the Jedi not showed up...but how was that possible? In the end, Anakin came to one of two conclusions; either he should not have allowed Luke and Leia to climb the cliff, or he should not have taken the mission in the first place. He blamed only himself.

"Dad?" said Luke, laying a tentative hand on his father's arm. "You're worried."

"No, I'm not." Anakin shook his head in denial.

"Leia's gonna be okay," declared the boy with a smile.

"Of course she is. I told you, didn't I?" Anakin gave a somewhat ragged smile to his son.

"Leia did, too. I just talked to her and she said she's fine."

"I know."

Luke's smile faded. "Then why are you still worried?"

 _My son is more perceptive than I am._ Anakin shrugged. "I'm not worried, Luke. I just hate it when someone I love is hurt, and I can't do anything to make them feel better."

Confusion overtook the boy. "But you did. You set her arm with the Force...and besides, you saved us."

A halfhearted smile returned, but rather than answer, Anakin gave his son a brief squeeze around his shoulders. The approach of a Jedi healer made father and son rise expectantly.

"Master Skywalker, your daughter's treatment is complete. You are free to see her if you wish," announced the healer.

"Thank you," sighed Anakin, bowing to the Twi'lek woman. His arm returned to Luke's shoulders, as much in affection as to keep the boy from running pell-mell down the hallways to see his sister.

Anakin felt like doing much the same himself.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

"Father, I told you, I'm fine," insisted Leia. Having just been released from the Infirmary with her arm in a plasticine alloy cast and a sling, she walked alongside her father and brother with an air of impatience and annoyance. They had hardly left before Anakin looked her over one more time and told her to be careful.

"I know...I just hate seeing you hurt, that's all," explained Anakin with a helpless shrug.

"It's only a broken arm. It doesn't even hurt."

"Leia, what have I told you about honesty?"

Leia cringed. _He can sense it._ From the look on Luke's face, he could too. Jedi weren't the type to start doling out painkillers. For a student her age, she was expected to fend off at least most of it with the Force. That only worked if she concentrated and put a lot of effort into it. Thankfully since treatment had finished the pain was very mild...as long as she didn't move her arm. "All right. It doesn't hurt _much_. But honestly, Father, you worry too much."

Anakin's mouth twitched. "You sound like your mother." He nearly winced at the memory of telling Padme their daughter had been hurt. The reaction had been surprisingly strong in that Anakin had expected her to be horrified at what had happened, which she was. The surprise came in seeing Padme cry over the news. She was not hysterical, but it affected her more than Anakin had thought it would. Padme never cried unless someone she knew and loved had passed away. But why not? After all, she loved her children more than anything.

Padme, when she had gotten control of her tears, asked when they expected to be home. For that, Anakin didn't yet have an answer; he hoped it was soon. He needed rest.

Anakin's fatigue had finally caught up with him. Fighting the pirates, catching those stones, and then setting Leia's arm had taken more out of him than he had expected. Now that Leia had been taken care of, all Anakin wanted to do was sleep.

Hopefully he wouldn't nod off while in the Council chambers giving his report.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

"Complete, this report is?" questioned Yoda some time later.

"Yes, Master Yoda," nodded Anakin. His cheeks burned in embarrassment and shame. "I apologize for allowing the majority of the pirates escape, and have no excuse."

"Hmm. Distracted, you were."

"Yes. I realize this does not reflect very well on my abilities as a master. If this shows that I am ill-suited to train both of my children, I'll accept any reassignments without question," finished Anakin with a sigh.

The Council had been surprisingly quiet and unreadable during Anakin's full oral report of the failed mission to Balmorra. Luke and Leia had already contributed their bits and stood waiting outside. Anakin had been expecting to be chewed out at least a little, but there was none of that. The Jedi Master almost wished there had been...he certainly felt as if he deserved it.

But in reality they regarded Anakin's last remark with confusion. Mace and Yoda exchanged puzzled glances. Ki-Adi lifted his brows in surprise, while Obi-Wan tilted his head to one side and leaned forward, elbow crooked on one armrest. "What makes you think either you or your twins would be reassigned, Anakin?"

Anakin lifted his head and knit his brows, confused. "The mission was a failure. The treaty between the Balmorrans and the Weequay was not honored, and the majority of the pirates escaped."

Mace shook his head. "The fault does not lie with you. The Weequay colonists deceived both you and the Balmorrans."

Anakin grimaced. "I should have sensed their deception."

Yoda rested his chin on his knuckles, thoughtful. "Not always clear are the intentions of others. Gifted with such insight, few Jedi are."

"But Master, I let them escape," sighed the unhappy Skywalker.

"You are being too hard on yourself, Anakin. No mission is guaranteed to be a success. The point is not to dwell upon it, but to learn from it," suggested Obi-Wan. "Besides, Master Yoda is right. The failure was not yours."

"Nor should this mission be considered a failure. Your daughter, for instance, showed herself to be quite skilled at negotiations," reminded Aayla Secura with a hint of a smile.

"Yes. Apparently the Balmorrans think very highly of her," added Mace with a nod.

Anakin's smile of pride was brief and strained. "Both my children- my students -conducted themselves well..." His voice faded into a regretful sigh. "I only wish Leia hadn't been injured."

Yoda and most of the other Council members noticed. "Mmm. More concern regarding your children, I think, than you have said."

 _I'm that obvious?_ Anakin grimaced. It would be useless to lie at this point, so he nodded. "I feel that now I understand why the rule of having only one apprentice at a time was put into place...and why the rules against attachment were honored for so long."

Mace leaned back in surprise. "Do you?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, Master Windu. I was left with a choice, either to save my children, or allow the pirates to escape...and I chose my children. I don't regret this decision, of course, but I see how a thing like this could be a problem. I fear that in the future I may be faced with the same decision but with far more dire consequences."

Kit Fisto frowned. "So, you feel both inadequate to protect your children, and fearful of the consequences of doing so?"

Hearing someone else speak what was on his heart should have been a relief to Anakin, but it made him feel no better. "Yes."

Yoda lifted one eyebrow. "Wish for someone else to train them, do you?"

Anakin's heart stung at the idea, but still he nodded. "I feel that it might be better for both them and me."

Half of the Council members frowned. Some shook their heads. Obi-Wan stared at the floor with a look of slight exasperation.

Mace pursed his lips. "Anakin, you are already well aware that to be a Jedi involves making difficult decisions. I believe the Council would agree that in this instance, yours was correct."

The others nodded.

"No one blames you for either the escape of the pirates or Leia's injury," added Obi-Wan. "The pirates will be dealt with and Leia will heal. And Anakin...this was only your first mission with your children as your apprentices. There is always a breaking-in period."

"I concur with Master Kenobi. You should give yourself more of a chance rather than immediately concluding you are unfit to train your children," Plo Koon put in.

"Do not forget, Skywalker, that you saved young Leia's life," reminded Luminara Unduli.

"How could I? I know you don't understand, but don't think for one moment I'll forget how close I came to losing my children." Anakin hadn't meant to be so snappish, and immediately hung his head in embarrassment. _You always have to do that. When are you going to learn to keep your mouth shut?_ "Forgive me."

Once again half the Council members glanced at each other. It was as if they were tossing thoughts back and forth like a child's toy ball, and the one who ended up with it could either hold the ball and speak or pass it on. Usually Yoda was the one who caught the ball last.

Such was the case again. "Tired you are, Skywalker," the green gnome observed.

Anakin nodded, rubbing his eyes with thumb and forefinger. 'Tired' was an understatement. He hadn't slept since the evening before the collapse, and that had been nearly 36 hours ago. "Yes."

Obi-Wan sighed. Anakin had always been that way. He kept pushing himself, taking on one thing after another with hardly a break between, and never slowed down until he crashed. It was through Anakin that Obi-Wan had learned that there was such a thing as being too dedicated. He nearly smiled when Anakin met his gaze and shrugged. 'What can I do?' he seemed to say.

Yoda looked thoughtful. "Much have you taken on in a short time, Skywalker. Little time have you had for rest."

Anakin shrugged. "I have the weekends, Master."

Plo Koon steepled his tridactyl hands. "Apparently this is not enough. Your stress levels are elevated and may be impairing your ability to think clearly."

"Agreed," nodded Mace. "Your last meditative retreat was four years ago. Apparently you are in need of another one."

"A retreat?" Anakin disguised his instant attraction to the idea with a frown. "What about Luke and Leia?"

"Recover, young Leia must, from her injury, before another mission is assigned," Yoda pointed out. "Take them with you, you shall."

 _Two weeks away from the Temple?_ Luke and Leia had not spent that much time away from Coruscant since they were six years old. Anakin had to agree that such a thing would be good for Leia with her need to heal. Luke, on the other hand, might enjoy it for a few days before he started going stir-crazy. Training was his life. "Both of them, Master?"

Yoda tilted his head to one side. "Separated, you believe they should be? Hmm?"

Quickly Anakin shook his head. The twins couldn't stand being apart. "No, Master." The more he considered it, the more appealing it became. _Two whole weeks with the children..._

"What say you, Skywalker?" asked Yoda, somewhat amused. The more Anakin tried to hide his enthusiasm, the plainer it was.

Anakin bowed in deference before giving in to his smile. Hopefully his children shared his feelings. "When do you wish us to depart?"

 _A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for an update! My mom had bunion surgery and I've been taking time off to help her at home. More is coming!_


	9. Adjustments

Making the decision on where to take Luke and Leia for their meditative retreat was easy. The most relaxing place in the galaxy, at least for Anakin, was home on Naboo. There was nowhere he would rather be than at home with his wife and children. He couldn't hide his relief as he set the family starship down in the front yard.

Padme greeted her family with enthusiasm and couldn't stop smiling for the remainder of the day. She, too, had taken two weeks off from her teaching job so she could spend more time with husband and children. It wasn't often that a chance like this came around.

Happiness soon became concern as any and all attempts to make things easier on Leia were rebuffed. The girl was obviously annoyed at her injury but insisted on doing as much as she could herself.

Dinner that evening was quiet. When Leia announced that she was going to bed early, Anakin asked repeatedly if there was anything he could do. Leia replied several times in annoyance before tactfully telling her father to butt out and leave her alone. Anakin bemoaned the encounter that evening as he and his wife sat side by side in bed.

"I wouldn't take it personally, Anakin," said Padme with a slight, comforting smile. "Leia's always been independent."

"I know. And normally I encourage her to be. But she's hurt. She needs to rest," Anakin pointed out.

"She will. That's what you and I are here for. We don't need to wait on her hand and foot, just keep her from pushing too hard."

"I was only trying to help."

"She's big enough to put on her pajamas and brush her teeth by herself, even if she's hurt."

Anakin slouched against the back of the bed and looked away, sighing heavily. "If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have even been hurt in the first place."

Padme turned to her husband with a frown. "Anakin, how can you say that? You saved our children's lives."

Anakin met her gaze with an agonized blue stare. "I should have done a better job protecting them. That rock shouldn't have fallen through. Those pirates shouldn't have gotten away. Leia shouldn't have been hurt!" Aware that he was raising his voice and letting his emotions take over again, the Jedi closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I failed."

Padme pursed her lips. "You haven't failed. I don't blame you for what happened. Neither do the children, or the Jedi. Anni..." She reached over to take Anakin's face in her hands and look him in the eye. "It wasn't your fault. No one else blames you. Stop blaming yourself."

Anakin blinked at the sting in his eyes and the truth in Padme's words. His habit of taking all the responsibility onto himself had been his biggest downfall. The last time Anakin had complained about his lack of power, it had pushed him toward the Dark Side. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. _No. None of that. You have only as much power as you need, and no more. And she's right...you saved your children._ Anakin took Padme's hands in his and nodded. "All right. I will. Maybe Leia's right; maybe I _do_ worry too much."

A bemused smile tugged at the corners of Padme's mouth, but she didn't give in to it just yet. "You do. You always have, ever since before we got married."

Anakin gave a helpless shrug. "It's only because I love you all so much." A hint of Anakin's old boyish smile returned as he ran the back of his hand down Padme's cheek.

"A wise man once said, 'who, by worrying, can add one hour to their life?'" Padme quoted. She pecked him on the cheek. "We all love you, too."

"Even if I worry too much?" Anakin's smile went crooked as he wrapped an arm around Padme's shoulders.

"Even then..." Padme scooted sideways so her husband could hug her from behind. When he did, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Well...at least I'm good at being a father, right?" Anakin rested his chin on Padme's shoulder.

Padme turned to her worrywart husband with her brows knit. "Of course you are. The children couldn't ask for any better."

Anakin threw her a mischievous grin. "Well...if I'm so good at it...maybe...we should have a few more," he suggested, punctuating every few words with another kiss on cheek, crown, and temple. The cuddling that followed only reinforced his willingness to multiply the number of Skywalkers right then and there.

Padme greeted the idea with another sigh. Any talk in the past of having more children had been met with an emphatic 'no' on Padme's end. As much as she loved them, she had her hands full with Luke and Leia. Since they had gone to the Temple the idea was a little more tempting, but by then she was busy teaching and Anakin was gone most of the time. Besides, there were other things to consider, like the lack of space and their ages. The idea of chasing around even one more Force-sensitive toddler in her forties was anything but pleasant. It made Padme tired just thinking about it.

No...she was already tired...exhausted...far more than she should be...

The woman frowned. The headaches and dizziness she had felt before Leia's suspension from saber practice was gone, but the insomnia and fatigue weren't. Several times a week, sometimes every day, Padme would feel exhausted even after a relatively easy day. At night she could hardly sleep. Once or twice she had nodded off while grading assignments. It had been easy to hide when Anakin and the children were home, but lately...

Anakin paused in his affection. Something was wrong. He could sense it. "Padme? Are you all right?" He craned his neck to look at her face.

A large yawn split Padme's face, and she managed a smile. "I'm fine. Don't you think you ought to get some sleep?"

"I'm not-" Anakin's own yawn interrupted him, and he frowned through it. "-tired," he protested anyway.

"I thought you and the children were supposed to be resting on your retreat," Padme pointed out.

"Leia's supposed to be resting. I'm supposed to be relaxing." Anakin frowned. "And I'm not going to relax until you tell me what's wrong."

Padme hesitated, then shook her head. _Enough. Being tired is nothing to panic about. Anakin worries enough already._ "I'm just tired." She gave him another smile and a brief, drowsy kiss. "Stop worrying."

 _There's something else. I know it. Why won't she tell me?_ Anakin's uncertainty wavered as Padme kissed him, but still he reached out through the Force. He didn't sense any deception, so perhaps Padme simply didn't know what was going on. "Can I make sure?" he asked.

Padme flinched. "With the Force? Anakin, you're not a healer."

Anakin shrugged. "No, but I'd be able to find out if it was anything serious." When Padme scoffed he took her hands. "Not that I think it is, but...please? Just let me try."

 _Anakin Skywalker, you are hopeless._ Padme, too tired to argue, nodded. "All right, if it'll make you feel better. What do I have to do?"

"Nothing. Just relax." With that, Anakin took a deep breath and stroked Padme's hair, stopping at her crown to rest his hand there. He would have to concentrate. It wasn't so easy to sense injury or illness in someone who wasn't sensitive to the Force. He kept his breathing slow and even and his mind focused. Slowly he imagined the Force flowing over Padme like a scanner, beginning at her head and working down, looking for anything that was amiss. Being married for fifteen years was a help in that Anakin already knew every one of Padme's idiosyncrasies and quirks. He would know if something was amiss.

Her head was fine. That was confusing to Anakin due to the dizziness he had remembered from several weeks before.

Already Padme was stirring restlessly. "Anakin-"

"Sh. It's all right," he murmured. She was annoyed with him. No, not annoyed- impatient. "Just a minute."

"Anakin, wait. I...I think I know what it is." There was emotion in Padme's voice, and she pulled away from him.

"What?" Anakin slowly let his hand drop. His Force-driven health scan hadn't gotten any farther than her collarbone. Whatever it was, he sensed it had upset her. He took her hand. "What is it?"

"It's nothing to worry about," sighed Padme. "But there's more to it than just not sleeping. I've been a little more emotional than usual; you might have noticed when you told me about Leia. And what's more, I missed my last cycle completely." She tried to smile for her wide-eyed husband. "No, it's not what you think. The reason I pulled away when you asked more children...well, I just don't know if I can have any more."

Anakin blinked, trying to process what he was hearing. He had gone from worry, to hope, to confusion in a matter of seconds. His first instinct was to try and laugh. "Come on. You're too young for that."

Padme shrugged. "It happened to my mother when she was forty. Sola was only thirty-seven when it happened to her. It's not impossible."

Anakin flapped his jaw in protest even as the evidence stacked up. The streak of gray in Padme's hair that he had been trying to ignore now seemed to be laughing at him. "Well, how can you be sure you're not just..."

Padme gave a wobbly smile. "Pregnant? Because this is completely different than it was with Luke and Leia. I'm not sick to my stomach, I'm not using the bathroom every five minutes, and I'm not craving nerf nuggets." The catch in her voice betrayed her laughter as false.

Anakin sighed. He wasn't even sure of why this information was upsetting him to the point where he didn't want to acknowledge it. "Are you sure? Have you seen a medic?"

"Not yet. I've almost been afraid to," she admitted.

"Why?" Anakin asked, rubbing her arm.

"I guess I don't want to feel like I'm getting old."

Anakin shook his head and crooked his finger to lift Padme's chin. "Look at me. You are _definitely_ not old. And even if you were, I'd still love you. I'll always love you, even when both of us are as old and gray as Jocasta Nu." He proved his point by kissing her firmly on the lips.

Padme had to smile at Anakin's sweetness. "I know. It's just that you've been talking about wanting more children for so long."

Anakin closed his eyes. "Padme, you mean so much more to me than that. I'm just glad you're all right." And he wrapped both arms around her. "We have two wonderful children now, and they're growing into two talented and caring young people."

Padme burrowed into Anakin's shoulder with a contented sigh. The little bit of worry that had been niggling at her for the past three weeks finally left now that the pitten was out of the box. She wiped a few stray tears away from her eyes. _Blasted hormones._

Anakin held his wife close, rubbing his face against hers and rocking back and forth. "Hey...you know how, at dinner tonight, you were asking everyone else what they wanted to do? What is it _you_ want to do? What is something you've wanted to do for years, and never gotten around to?"

Padme smiled. "I want to take Luke and Leia to the museums in Theed. Most of them have been rebuilt after the bombings, and I want them to see Naboo's history up close."

"All right. We'll go tomorrow, then," said Anakin with a nod.

"I don't know how Luke will feel about that." Padme sighed.

"As long as we can get him not to try levitating every sculpture he sees, we should be fine."

Padme had to laugh, but it wasn't just at the image of their overeager Jedi-in-training rearranging art displays. Anakin's ability to make Padme laugh was one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him. The awkward but talented young Jedi had been the one to break through the facade of serious senator and find the girl beneath. The laughter had grown less over the years that the Clone Wars raged, but had returned once everything had settled down.

She had expected Anakin to be upset, or even just sad upon hearing Padme was at or near the point in her life where more children were impossible. His reaffirmation of love was more of a relief than Padme cared to admit. After a time she had to brush away tears that had nothing to do with how hard she was laughing.

Hopefully the mood swings would go away soon.


	10. Echoes

The ship was quiet...uncommonly quiet, given the fact that its two young passengers were wide awake. Anakin took full advantage of it and sat in an attitude of meditation on the floor. Spine straight, eyes closed, legs crossed, and wrists resting on his knees, the Jedi Master had completely lost himself to the Force. The quiet, distant hum of the starship engine proved to be great as white noise. It was easy to let his mind drift. Free of care, it briefly touched on all that had happened in the last two weeks.

Anakin had followed through on his promise and taken his family to several museums in downtown Theed. Padme was delighted and eagerly pointed out as much as she could to her children. True to her predictions, Luke wasn't crazy about the choice of activity and could only feign interest for half an hour before his attention began to drift. Leia, on the other hand, loved the experience. She would have gladly stayed at the museums for half of the retreat. But a combination of Luke's extreme boredom and the fact that half a dozen people had identified Anakin on sight- and subsequently lost their minds with admiration -had brought the outing to an abrupt halt. The family spent the remainder of that day and all of the next visiting with their extended family.

Keeping busy after her husband's untimely death, Jobal was still as kind and loving as ever. She volunteered at the Center for the Less Fortunate and was known by every resident. She kept her home open to anyone who needed temporary shelter. Daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren were welcomed with open arms. She asked everyone for updates between offering cups of shurra fruit juice and freshly baked cookies. Leia was paid special attention. Strangely enough Leia did not seem to mind her grandmother's fussing as much as her parent's.

Sola stopped by with her daughters the day after. Ryoo was now a beautiful, smiling and kind-hearted young lady of twenty-four who very much resembled her mother. She had been working as a defense attorney for several years before meeting a shy young man named Antone. The two had just recently become engaged.

Pooja had taken a completely different path. Dedicating herself to her studies, she developed an affinity for science and mathematics, as well as a love for animals. She was now studying at Fatell University to become a biologist.

Both Ryoo and Pooja adored their 'baby' cousins and proved to be excellent listeners. They complimented Leia on her academic skills while applauding Luke's Jedi abilities, even when he started showing off. Anakin put a stop to that upon seeing Luke levitating Jobal's favorite flower vase while performing a headstand.

The retreat was concluded with a visit to the Lake Country. Leia took to the water like a Gungan. The exercise was easy on her healing arm, and she took great pleasure in challenging her brother to races...and winning every one. Every spare moment was spent in the lake. Anakin felt great relief in seeing the smile he knew and loved return to his daughters' face. The return to Coruscant unfortunately made it fade yet again.

Anakin and his children had not been long at the Temple before the High Council had their second mission picked out and ready to assign. This time it was an investigation. For several months, rumors had flown about a small-time group of weapons runners using the backwater planet of Aibres as a hideout. If the rumor turned out to be true, it would be the duty of Anakin and his two young Jedi to either shut them down or, if needed, call for reinforcements.

Skywalker had no intentions of repeating what he saw as mistakes from Balmorra. In addition to carrying stun sticks, Luke and Leia were both under strict orders to stay within ten meters of their father at all times. If there was a fight, they were to stand behind him, back to back with each other. Both had full permission to use the Force in whatever ways they were able...but only in defense.

Luke could not contain his excitement. He practically bounced off the walls of the ship until Anakin made the suggestion of centering themselves in the Force with meditation. Judging by the random, muffled thuds that had been coming from the sleeping bunks, neither twin had been doing so for the past half hour.

When the latest thud was greeted with a loud groan, Anakin opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Curiosity had finally gotten the best of him. _What are they doing in there?_ He didn't sense anything amiss. The emotions of concentration and subsequent frustration were present, but that was it. Luke's muffled voice was soon heard through the closed door.

"Come on, Leia. You can do it. I know you can," said the boy, trying to be encouraging.

"We're wasting time. Besides, Father said to meditate, not levitate."

"You're using the Force. That has to count for something. One more time, okay? Please?"

"Fine." Silence returned to the hall, as well as the sense of concentration.

 _So that's it._ Anakin smiled. Luke was helping Leia practice her levitation skills. He wanted to watch, but didn't want his daughter to be distracted. So he mentally fiddled with the door controls so it would open just a crack.

Leia was sitting on her bunk with her arm outstretched and her eyes closed, Luke standing at her shoulder. Presently a training remote hove into view. It edged closer and closer to her fingers. Just as it brushed the tip of her middle finger, her concentration wavered. So did the remote. It dropped like a stone. Leia fumbled, complaining, and just barely caught it in her hands. "Blast," she muttered. "So close."

Luke shrugged. "Hey, at least you caught it."

Unhappily the girl shook her head. "That doesn't count."

Anakin stepped inside the room with his own shrug. "Either way, you're making progress. Good job."

Leia avoided his gaze and set the remote on the table with a sigh. "I guess. When are we going to arrive at Aibres, Father?"

As if on cue the reversion alarm bee-doo'd its' way throughout the ship. Anakin smiled. "Perfect timing. Come on. Strap yourselves in."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Aibres was one of those worlds that looked unassuming enough from orbit, but upon landing, presented one surprise after another. The first of these surprises was that the foliage came in varying shades of blue instead of green. The dark soil was black, while the tree bark was a very dusky gray. Luke and Leia could hardly turn anywhere without seeing some sort of wonder and walked about with gaping mouths. This soon became unease as a muffled growl from some sort of distant animal drifted out of the forest and into the clearing where they had set down.

"What was that?" asked Luke, looking around.

"A native creature, most likely. Don't worry. Most of the animals on this planet are vegetarians, like the ones on Naboo," said Anakin in a reassuring tone.

"What about the others?" asked Leia uneasily.

"It's all right," calmed Anakin. He rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "Yes, there are predators, but that doesn't mean you have to be afraid of them. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Just stay close and you'll both be fine."

Another distant growl made both twins take a few steps closer to their father. After a time Luke let out a shudder. "Dad? I know you're a great Jedi...probably the best that ever lived...but I'd still feel better if I had my own lightsaber."

Anakin quirked his mouth to one side, threatening a smile. He had been wondering when the talented boy would start bugging him about that. "You know only padawans are allowed to build their own lightsabers."

Luke made a face. "But Master Calon says I'm the best duelist he's ever seen. Why can't I build my own lightsaber before I'm an official padawan?"

Anakin's smile faded into a sigh. Sometimes Luke's resemblance to his father was unnerving...and not just physically. The boy was stubborn, impatient, and somewhat reckless, wanting to advance as fast as he could without often thinking about the consequences. "Because that's the way it is. Be careful with your pride, Luke. Just because you're talented doesn't mean you should be allowed to cut corners. The Initiate Trials come first, then an official apprenticeship." He gave his son's shoulder a squeeze. "Patience. It shouldn't be much longer. In the meantime, relax and focus on the mission." A glance at Leia found the girl to be quiet and pensive. She certainly wasn't happy. Perhaps she was thinking about her own inadequacies as a youngling and wondering if she would ever catch up with Luke. Anakin slid his hand around her shoulder in a side hug. _Don't worry. You'll catch up_ , he told her mentally.

Leia glanced up at her father with a slight smile. _I hope so._ She sidestepped into his embrace, always feeling safer when he was near. Still, she had no intention of either relying completely on him or letting her guard down. Her brown eyes scanned for trouble as she, father, and brother made their way through the unusual forest in search of justice that needed to be done.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the rumored coordinates of the gun-runner's base, nor did it take long to discover that the rumors had been false. A combination of the Force, observation, and scans showed the planet to be utterly devoid of human life save the Jedi.

Luke couldn't hide his disappointment as they began the five kilometer hike back to the ship to inform the Council. "Great. Only our second mission, and it turns out to be a wild bantha chase."

Anakin shrugged. "It happens. At least this time there wasn't any trouble." He gave Leia's shoulders another squeeze.

Leia didn't look particularly upset about the lack of action. She had not left her father's side the whole time and seemed to relax more with every passing moment. There was some annoyance at Anakin's overprotective nature, but if it meant more attention from her father, she would take it.

Luke tilted his head from side to side as a kind of shrug. "Yeah...but I was looking forward to shutting down the weapons runners."

Leia turned to her twin with a frown. "A Jedi doesn't go looking for trouble. They stop it before it starts."

Anakin nodded in agreement. "That's right, Leia. Sometimes it can't be helped, but one should only use violence as a last resort."

Luke sighed and kicked at a rock. "I don't _want_ to hurt anybody. I just wanted to get some more experience."

Anakin smiled at his eager young son and reached over to rumple his hair fondly. "There will be plenty of missions and plenty of opportunities for both of you. But for now, let's head back to the ship. If this pattern continues, we shouldn't have to wait too long for our next mission."

The children agreed. While Leia continued to walk beside her father, Luke soon took to wandering. It was nearing dusk on their side of the planet and the shadows were growing long. In the next few minutes Anakin resolved to turn on his lightsaber to illuminate their path. He kept a close eye on Luke and admonished the boy several times not to wander too far ahead. Luke danced along the edges of Anakin's vision and kept himself busy by performing several different type of acrobatics. Presently he dropped down and began walking on his hands.

Leia crossed her arms and frowned at her brother. "Showoff."

"I am not," protested Luke even while he was upside down. "I'm practicing."

"Luke, you're too far ahead," called Anakin again. "Wait for us."

Luke groaned, but slowed his pace, taking half as many steps on his hands.

"Why don't you walk normally?" Leia wanted to know.

"'Cause that's no fun," grinned Luke. "Come on, try it!" His grin vanished as a sudden and strong sense of danger assaulted him. Uncertain blue eyes traveled to his father.

Anakin had already dropped into a ready stance and ignited his lightsaber, adrenaline pumping. "Leia, get behind me. Luke-" The crashing of brush and the angry roar of one of the native beasts reached his ears and drew nearer by the second. In half a minute Anakin knew what was going to happen. "Luke! Get _down_!" He broke into a run.

Luke had already tucked his chin and gone into a roll, but the approaching beast was faster. One moment he was scrambling to his feet. The next, a bundle of scraggly purple fur and claws knocked him over. Then a vise with teeth snagged his leg before he could roll away. The boy cried out in fear and pain.

"LUKE!" screamed Leia, hard on her father's heels. She flipped on the stun stick and braced her feet wide.

"Get back!" ordered Anakin, ducking and dodging the beast's short but muscular tail and holding his lightsaber high. The animal was quick, but it didn't have the Force. In half a moment Anakin had sliced off its left foreleg and Force-pushed it into a stand of nearby trees.

The creature flew backward with a squeal, hit a large trunk, and fell senseless to the ground. Then it moved no more.

Anakin heaved out a shudder before hurrying to his son's side. Guilt and worry made his stomach twist. _No, no, no...not again!_ "Luke?"

Luke's blue eyes were wide and his breathing quick and shallow as he stared at his father. Moving made him cry out and look down at his leg, which Leia was already tending.

It was a struggle for Anakin to hold in his tears and keep his hands from shaking as he slouched next to his children. "Leia, let go."

Leia fearfully shook her head, hands pressed against the wound. "He's bleeding."

Anakin nodded. "I know. And you did the right thing. Just let me see for a minute, all right? We'll take care of him."

After a moment's hesitation Leia let go. Her throat was tight with emotion as she sat next to her brother. This must have been how he had felt seeing her injured.

Despite the blood-soaked pant leg, only six of the animal's two dozen or so teeth had connected, and none of them had gone more than a couple of centimeters deep. A wash and a dip in a bacta tank would heal it nicely. A quick assessment with the Force told Anakin that all of Luke's veins and arteries were intact, but the bleeding would not stop without a bandage. Anakin closed his eyes with a sympathetic wince before turning to his son. "Luke? Can you hear me?"

Luke nodded hastily. His eyes darted about. "What was that thing? Where did it go?"

"Don't worry. I took care of it," assured Anakin.

"You didn't...you didn't kill it, did you?" asked Luke nervously.

"Luke! No, but he should have. That thing almost killed you!" scolded Leia.

"He wasn't evil, just hungry," argued Luke.

"He was trying to eat _you_!"

Anakin shook his head, unable to see the reason behind Luke's compassion toward such a ferocious beast. Ironically such a thing was a good trait for a Jedi. The fact that Luke wasn't angry with the animal boded well for his future. "Enough, you two. No, Luke. I didn't kill the animal. He's stunned. But we're going to have to hurry and get back to the ship before he wakes up." Without further debate he reached into his standard-issue utility belt medic-kit and pulled out the single rolled bandage and an anti-microbial injection. Thankful for his experience in treating wounds, Anakin was nevertheless shaking and fighting tears as he bound Luke's leg and gave him the injection to help prevent infection.

Luke wasn't much help. He wasn't very good at fighting even his own pain with the Force and kept wincing and whimpering. Presently he turned to his father. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I should have listened."

Anakin cleared the hoarseness from his throat. "Never mind." His hands continued to shake as he tied off the bandage and put the remaining supplies away. "Come on. Let's go." Carefully he lifted his son to his feet and supported his bad side.

Leia was already on Luke's opposite side to help hold him up. Together the group hobbled back to the ship. Artoo greeted them with a worried squeal and readied the engines while Anakin stayed in the main hold to care for Luke.

To an outside observer the legendary Master looked perfectly calm and controlled, but in reality he was two steps from falling apart. It wasn't until after Luke had been care for that he walked forward to released the tears he had been holding in _. It happened again. One of my children is hurt. Why couldn't I stop it? Why couldn't I move quickly enough?_

Anakin's tears didn't stop until long after the ship had jumped to hyperspace.

 ** _*****A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update, but a bout of writer's block and two months of caring for my mother (who just had bunion surgery) has kind of put a cramp in my writing. More is coming, I promise!*******_**


	11. Trials

"Luke, come on. We're going to be late," hollered Leia impatiently from the twin's doorway.

"I'm coming," called Luke, rolling down his pant leg and pulling on his boot. He had been inspecting his leg and was somewhat disappointed not to find even a scar. The youngster was glad to be healed, of course. His leg had been sound for weeks before winning the Apprentice Tournament. But scars were interesting. Scars gained during battle were something to be admired, at least in Luke's mind. They showed that one had been strong enough to come through a dangerous fight and survive. Luke had memorized the stories of the numerous scars of his father and looked forward to being able to tell stories of his own. So the lack of a visible scar was disappointing. The boy sighed as he tucked the last bit of pant leg into his boot and scrambled out to join his sister.

The day he had been longing for since the age of four had finally come. Today the Initiate Trials would be held. Luke couldn't wait. Scar or no scar, he was ready to take the next step in his Jedi training.

Leia was predictably nervous as she met her brother in the hallway. "It's about time. What were you doing in there?"

Luke shrugged. "Looking for a scar."

The girl wrinkled her brow. "A scar? Where?"

"On my leg."

"From what?"

"I was just hoping I'd be able to tell where the drapol bit me."

"Oh. Why?"

Luke sighed impatiently. "So I don't forget."

Leia made a face, shuddering. "Ugh, why would you _want_ to remember something like that? That thing almost had you for dinner."

The boy rolled his eyes. "So when I tell the story, I can show people."

Leia groaned, turning away. "I'd rather forget about it."

Luke slowly shook his head. _Girls. Even twins don't understand._ "Never mind." They walked on for a few paces. Presently Luke turned back to his sister. "Think you're gonna pass today?"

The girl stiffened and grew very quiet. Was she? Leia could only answer with a shrug. "I hope so," she replied in a low voice.

With a comforting smile and a pat on the back, Luke stepped a little closer to his sister. "You will. I know you will."

Leia pulled away with pursed lips. "I'm not even going to ask if _you_ think you're going to pass. That's going to be the easiest decision the Council has ever had," she remarked with a touch of sarcasm.

Luke flinched uncomfortably at his sister's tone. "I don't know about that. They're not supposed to easy. That's why they're called Trials. You know Master Calon said winning the Tournament never guarantees that you'll pass the Initiate Trials...and passing doesn't mean anyone will take you on as an apprentice, either."

Leia shrugged. "Well, we don't have to worry about that. We already have a Master."

"Well...sort of," admitted Luke slowly. Neither of them wanted to speak their fears...that Anakin wasn't going to keep them on after all. They hadn't been assigned any more missions since Aibres, and both twins suspected something other than the need to focus. "We still have to pass. But we will. Both of us will." Luke's smile returned and he slung his arm across Leia's shoulders.

Leia returned with a guarded smile of her own. She only hoped that her brother was right. Their father had been so distracted lately, but wouldn't give them a reasonable explanation as to why. All he would say was that he was worried about their mother. But Padme wasn't sick or hurt. Luke and Leia knew this. Surely Anakin, who was fifty times more powerful than his children, knew as well. The only reason Leia had come up with for their father's sudden depression was something having to do with Luke and Leia's future as Jedi, and Luke's apprenticeship was all but set in stone. _He knows something we don't, and he isn't telling us,_ decided Leia, galled at the idea that her father was keeping secrets from his own flesh and blood. Why shouldn't he tell them? They were Jedi, after all.

"Leia?" Luke paused midstride to turn back to his sister with a frown. "You coming?"

Leia blinked with surprise. She hadn't even realized that her distractions had made her fall behind. _Enough,_ she thought, shaking her head. _Worrying about it isn't going to help us pass the Trials._ She quickened her pace to catch up to her brother. "I'm coming."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity." Leia thought her voice sounded painfully small and uncertain as she stood in the Council chambers and recited the Jedi Code.

The Trials were nearly over. Every other eligible Youngling had already taken their Trials, testing their knowledge of the Force, the Jedi Code, and lightsaber combat. Their readiness and maturity was also being tested. Leia was the last to go...and she hated it. The waiting had kicked her nerves into overdrive, and it was a struggle keeping them in check. "There is no chaos, there is harmony." That was ironic, considering how chaotic Leia's emotions were at the moment. _Don't stop. Keep going._ She lifted her chin in determination and pressed on.

The worst of it was already done with. All that remained now was the academic portion of the test, and that should be easy. It was the area where Leia felt the most comfortable. "There is no death, there is the Force."

As always, the expressions of the Council were completely unreadable. Yoda seemed to staring directly into Leia's soul as his green eyes fixed on the girl. He had hardly even moved from his thoughtful position, chin resting on his gimer stick. "Mmm. And the three pillars of the Jedi. Know these, do you?"

Leia nodded. "Yes, master. The three pillars of the Jedi are the Force, knowledge, and self-discipline."

Yoda lifted hairless brows. "Feel the Force, do you? Flow through you, it does?"

Again, the girl nodded. "Yes, Master." _Calm, calm...you're nearly through,_ Leia told herself. She called on the Force for what must have been the twentieth time in her Trials to keep every emotion in check. She had not done very well in the area of telekinesis and hoped that would not much affect her standings. After all, not every Jedi could move objects with their mind.

The Council members exchanged glances for an interminable length of time before finally turning to Leia. "Leia Skywalker, step forward," said Mace Windu, rising to his feet.

Leia quickly obeyed. The tremor of nerves in her hands was arrested as she stood in a parade rest.

Mace looked the girl in the eye. "The Force is indeed strong with you. You have demonstrated knowledge of the history of the Jedi, as well as an understanding of the Jedi Code and the three pillars of the Jedi. You have proved that the Force flows through you, and an ability to control it, though further training is needed in several areas. It is the decision of this Council that you have passed these Initiate Trials."

Relief flooded Leia's limbs, and she couldn't help be sigh in relief. "Thank you, Master."

Yoda pursed his lips. "Take this promotion lightly, you must not, young one. More difficult shall your journey become. Arise, conflict shall. Division there may be. Meditate upon your path, you must."

Leia nodded soberly. "Yes, Master. I understand."

Yoda exchanged a glance with Mace Windu, as if expressing doubts about how much Leia understood, but said nothing further. Mace nodded to the girl. "You are dismissed, Leia Skywalker. Step out into the hall and await further instructions."

Confusion clouded Leia's thoughts, and she hesitated. _Wouldn't I be going to the Quartermaster for my new robes?_ That was where Luke had gone. He had passed- which was a surprise to no one -and then gone straight to the barber to get his new Padawan haircut. All of the Younglings who had passed the Initiate Trials and immediately been chosen by a Master had done the same. Why should Leia be any different? Brown eyebrows knit with uncertainty.

Yoda tilted his head to one side. "Questions, you have? Not what you expected, this is?"

"Ah..." Leia bit her lower lip, and she shrugged. _You passed the Initiate Trials! Don't argue, or they might change their minds._ "Not exactly, Master Yoda...but I'll do as you wish." Eager to leave the firm stares of the Jedi Masters, Leia executed a formal bow before turning to walk out the doors as quickly as respect would allow. Once the doors closed, she let out the breath she had been holding and slouched against the nearest wall.

How strange it was. Leia had expected to be happy and excited. Instead all she felt was an odd combination of relief and confusion, which doubled as she searched for her brother. He was still in the Temple, of course, but not anywhere within sight or earshot. As a matter of the fact, the girl was all but alone in the hallway. The other Youngings had either gone to meet their new Masters, gone to one of the training rooms for further evaluation to pair them with a Master, or shuffled sadly back to their quarters after not passing the Trials. Leia was the odd one out.

Upon sensing her father's approach, Leia relaxed. _Father is going to take me. Maybe he wants to discuss a few things before we go to meet Luke_. She broke into a smile when he rounded the corner. The smile faded somewhat as she saw that his depression was still present, breaking the faint smile he gave his daughter in return. _Does he know yet?_ "Father, I passed the Initiate Trials," she called.

Anakin's smile widened and he welcomed his daughter in a brief hug. "I knew you would. I'm so proud of you. Congratulations."

Leia was grinning as she pulled back. "Thank you. Luke passed, too...but everybody knows that."

"No one can know for certain until the time comes...but I don't think that surprised anyone," chuckled Anakin. "I'm proud of both of you."

"Where is he?" said Leia eagerly.

"He's with the Quartermaster being fitted for his new robes," explained Anakin. His smile began to slowly fade as he draped an arm across Leia's shoulders to guide her away from the Council chambers.

"Well, let's go!" Leia started to hurry forward, then stopped when Anakin held her back. It was then she sensed how downcast he really was. "Can't I tell Luke that I passed?"

"Of course you can. Just wait a minute."

"What's wrong, Father? Is Mother-?"

Anakin shook his head as he dropped next to his daughter. "No, no. Your mother is fine. But Leia, why did the Council send you out into the hall?"

Leia shrugged and felt her heart start to sink. "I don't know. I thought they'd send me with Luke."

Anakin briefly closed his eyes. "Oh. I'm sorry."

 _What's he saying?_ Leia's stomach twisted. "Why are you sorry? Why did they send me into the hall?"

The young father sighed unhappily. "It means that you don't have a master. No one picked you." He forced a smile. "Don't worry. Sometimes it takes a few days-"

Leia knit her brows. "What do you mean, I don't have a master? I do...Luke and I do. _You're_ our master."

Anakin grimaced. He had known this was going to be difficult, and dreaded the next few moments. "Now Leia, I told both of you that it was only temporary. After what happened to both of you on our missions, the Council agreed that you and Luke would be better trained under someone else."

The girl flinched as if she'd been struck. All those years of anticipation, all those years of training, and Leia had never imagined being trained by anyone but her father. Not wanting to believe it, she shook her head. "But...no. It wasn't your fault! You didn't know those pirates had a charge set right over us. And when Luke was hurt, that was _his_ fault. He wouldn't listen!"

Anakin's heart ached at seeing the pain of rejection in Leia's eyes. He smoothed her hair. "Perhaps, a part of it was. But you were still my responsibility, and I let you down. Both you and Luke will be better off training under someone else."

Leia sharply shook her head. "No, we wouldn't. You're the best Jedi in the galaxy!"

Anakin winced. "Being among the most powerful doesn't make me the best. Power doesn't mean anything unless you can control it and put it to proper use. Apparently I still have much to learn as far as control is concerned. That puts you and Luke in danger. I can't allow that. So, someone else is going to train you."

The little girl sagged on her heels, sick with disappointment. There was a small part of her that felt only rejection, but it was brushed aside. Leia had always known she might be trained by someone else. _The Council is stupid, then, to think anyone is better qualified than Father._ Such thoughts were kept to herself. "Who, then?"

Anakin tried to smile in encouragement. "Well, Master Obi-Wan is taking Luke. Both of you know him."

Leia's tentative smile died on her lips as the reality of this revelation hit her. "Wait. He's only taking Luke? He doesn't want me."

Anakin frowned and took Leia's shoulders. "Leia, that's not true. Obi-Wan would have taken you both in a heartbeat if he was able. But he's a member of the High Council. As such, he's barely going to have enough time to train Luke. Taking on two would be all but impossible."

 _That's why Obi-Wan wouldn't even look at me during the Trials. He'd already picked Luke_. Leia's mood, which had been nearing the stratosphere upon hearing she'd passed the Initiate Trials, dropped down into Coruscant's underbelly. _No one else wants to train me, either...not even my own father._ The sense of inferiority and rejection drove deep, and was followed by the sting of coming loneliness. "They're separating us. That's what they're doing," she stated through a closing throat.

Anakin tightened his grip on his daughters' shoulders. "No, they're not. You're still a Jedi, Leia. It's not going to be goodbye. You'll still see Luke-"

"No!" cried Leia. She wrenched out of her father's hands and began taking several steps back. "You promised! You promised no one was ever going to split us up. Why did you let them? You should have said no!" Wheeling around with feelings of hurt and anger threatening to overwhelm her, Leia took four large steps down the stairs. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. Jedi didn't cry.

"Leia!"

Her father's firm voice made the girl stop short. _Jedi don't run away, either._ Leia's shoulders hunched and she hung her head, still fighting the tears burning behind her eyes. She stiffened as her father approached.

"Leia..." Anakin's touch was gentle as he rested a hand on Leia's shoulder. "I'm not angry with you. I just want you to understand. As your father, it's my responsibility to keep you and your brother safe until you're old enough to take care of yourselves. Apparently I can't focus on training you and keeping you safe without endangering the mission. I'd never forgive myself if I lost either you or an innocent bystander by trying to do too many things at once."

Wordlessly Leia nodded. Her father was being too hard on himself again. "You wouldn't."

Anakin squeezed his daughter's shoulder and turned to look her in the eye. "I came close enough already. I'm not putting any of us through that again. I know it hurts...but it's better this way. Now...why don't the two of us calm down and go find that brother of yours to congratulate him?"

Leia had to choke back a sob. She didn't feel like congratulating Luke. He probably wouldn't be very happy about leaving his sister behind, either. But the need to please her father took over, and the girl nodded.

"Shh. Deep breaths. Come on," encouraged Anakin quietly. He hated seeing his children in distress, and entered his own breathing exercise to center himself in the Force.

Leia closed her eyes with a shudder. In time she had slowed her breathing. A single tear escaped from her eye. She quickly wiped it away. _I'm calm. I'm calm. I'm calm,_ she kept thinking. Only when she sensed relief in her father did she truly begin to calm. When her vitals were on an even keel, she opened her eyes.

"That's my girl," smiled Anakin, playing with her single braid. He bent over and kissed the top of her head. "Let's go."

Leia managed a very slight, halfhearted smile at the affection, but her overall mood was still one of dejection. _Father isn't going to train us. Luke was chosen by a member of the Council, and no one wanted me. It's not fair. It's not fair..._


	12. Legacy

_I'm a Jedi,_ thought Luke as he stared at his reflection for the fiftieth time. _I've always been a Jedi, but now I finally_ look _like one._

Most beings found Jedi robes to be rather plain. Luke couldn't be any more at home in them. For the first time ever he had tabards, boots, a robe, and a full utility belt with all kinds of interesting gadgets in the three standard-issue pouches. The open spot above his left hip was reserved for a clip, from which would hang a lightsaber...the weapon of a Jedi. That was the only thing still missing from his attire, and Luke could hardly wait to build one. Already he was studying two other forms of combat and picking out which components he was going to use. Once he had a lightsaber, he really would be a Jedi.

Luke's smile was short-lived as he turned away from the reflective metal panel and sank into the nearest seat. A lightsaber wasn't the only thing missing from his life. Hearing that Anakin would not be training him after all and that Leia wasn't coming along- worse, that she wasn't even an official Padawan yet -had hit the boy hard. While he liked his new master very much, it just wasn't the same without Leia. It just didn't feel right.

It had only been two weeks since the Initiate Trials. Already there was a marked change in Luke's life. Not only did he wear the trappings and haircut of a Padawan learner, but he also followed a different schedule. Padawans lived their lives according to the schedules of their masters. Since Obi-Wan Kenobi was a member of the High Council he didn't live the usual semi-nomadic life of any other Knight or Master. Travel would be seldom, and only for the most important of missions. Council Members didn't call for backup. They _were_ the backup. That was one of the reasons they didn't often take apprentices. Being an apprentice to a member of the High Council was more dangerous than even the life of a Jedi Sentinel in the Outer Rim. Serious injuries and death were less frequent, but they did occur. Even with one of the wisest, strongest Jedi in the galaxy, they were only mortal, imperfect beings. Any Jedi could come up against overwhelming odds and risk losing his or her life. It was part of the job description.

Danger didn't bother Luke. He didn't like getting hurt, but the thrill of helping people and seeing the most exciting places in the galaxy made all the risk worth it.

The only bad thing about having Obi-Wan for a master was that Obi-Wan had also trained Anakin. Luke expected to be compared with his father in everything, and felt anxious to live up to his father's reputation. On this, their first mission together, the pressure would be greater than ever.

"My, my. So quiet. Given the reports of your father, I expected you to be bouncing off the walls," remarked Obi-Wan as he entered the main hold with eyebrows lifted.

"Dad didn't say I was _that_ bad, did he?" Luke cringed.

"No. But focus on the present, Luke. We cannot afford any distractions on this assignment," said Kenobi evenly. Only he could switch from his dry sense of humor to full 'Jedi Master' mode without a pause.

"Yes, Master," nodded Luke. He wasn't aware he was tapping his foot until Obi-Wan noticed.

The Jedi Master observed with his usual quiet strength. "No need to be on edge. Stay close, listen, and trust to the Force."

Luke nodded again. "I will, Master Kenobi. And I'm not nervous, just-" Obi-Wan's look of skepticism made Luke cringe and shrug. "Well...all right. I'm a _little_ nervous."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Not about the mission, I take it."

Luke blinked. It was a little unnerving how easy it was for Obi-Wan to get to the bottom of things. He was almost as good at it as Anakin. He had to shake his head. "Not really, Master. I'm...it's nothing."

Obi-Wan sank in the seat next to Luke's. "Hmm. I think it _is_ something." When Luke shrugged, the Master sighed. "Luke, I realize it must be upsetting to have counted on having your father train you, and then find out it isn't going to happen."

The boy grimaced. He'd been hoping Obi-Wan wouldn't bring that up. "It is."

Obi-Wan pursed his lips, missing the old ways. "Disappointment is a part of life, Padawan. You mustn't dwell upon it. It distracts from the task at hand."

"I know, Master. I do miss my father and sister...but that's not why I'm nervous," confessed Luke.

"Oh?" Obi-Wan's silvering brows lifted yet again. This was a surprise. "Is it something you wish to discuss?"

"Well..." Luke threw a cautious glance to his new master. While he had known Obi-Wan since infancy and was comfortable talking with him, it was one thing to see him as a friend, another to see him as an older Jedi, and something else entirely to be Obi-Wan's apprentice. Things were that much more difficult to speak aloud. "I don't know."

He does know, and he doesn't want to tell me. Obi-Wan let out a slow breath. He certainly hoped that Luke hadn't learned this lack of communication from his father. But, as he had learned with Anakin, pushing someone to open up before they were ready to, never worked.

While Obi-Wan had watched Luke and Leia grow from babyhood to the year before adolescence, in a way they were still strangers to him. He didn't know them like their father did. Luke and Obi-Wan would have to forge a bond as master and apprentice if this was going to work. That took time. This was only their first mission.

After a moment's reflection, Obi-Wan nodded. "All right. If you do decide to tell me, I'll be here." He patted Luke on the back before rising again to his feet.

Luke bit his lip before jumping up to follow. "Wait...Master Kenobi?"

That was quick. Obi-Wan turned back to the boy with interest. "Yes?"

Luke tilted his head to one side. "Do you think I'll be as good a Jedi as my dad?"

Ah. Caught in a strange place between amusement and concern, Obi-Wan lifted his brows yet again. "Is that what is bothering you, my young apprentice? You worry about living up to your father's reputation?"

Slowly Luke nodded. "Yes."

It was no surprise. The Skywalker family was very loving, of course, but this went a step beyond normal admiration of a parent. Luke and Leia all but worshiped their father. Such a level of attachment was unnerving to Obi-Wan, and he wondered how much of it he needed to suppress now that the Code had been changed. He eased back into a sitting position and motioned for Luke to join him. "I see. Well, Luke, the first thing you must remember is that no Jedi is perfect. All of us, no matter how powerful or talented, are not idols to be put upon pedestals and worshiped."

"I know," said Luke easily. "I wouldn't want to be, anyway."

"I wasn't speaking of you, young one," cautioned Obi-Wan. "Admiration of fellow Jedi is fine, but it must not go any further than that...and that includes your father."

Luke looked ready to protest, but nodded anyway.

"The other thing you must remember is that no two Jedi can have the same strengths. Take yourself and your sister, for instance. You are twins. Does that make you the same person?"

"Of course not," Luke snorted. "She's a girl."

"I meant differences besides gender, age, or even species. You do not have the same talents, do you?"

"No. She's better at talking to people, and getting them to listen. I'm better at using a lightsaber and levitation."

Obi-Wan hid the smile that resulted from Luke's matter-of-fact assessment. "Exactly. Now, if you and your sister are not the same person, how many more differences would there be between yourself and your father?"

Luke nodded slowly. "I think I see what you mean. Dad says Leia and I are better at using the Force to talk to each other than he is."

Obi-Wan spread his hands. "There you have it. The point is, Luke, you are not your father, nor does anyone expect you to be. A lack of talent in one area does not make one Jedi any less than another. As such, we cannot compare ourselves with others or set ourselves to their standards. Where would the interest be in the galaxy if all of us- even the Jedi -all had the exact same talents?"

The boy made a face. "It would be boring."

The Jedi Master smiled and took Luke's shoulder. "Exactly right, my young apprentice. Embrace what talents you have and focus on how best to use them for the benefit of the galaxy."

Finally a tentative smile returned to Luke's face. He nodded. "I will, Master Obi-Wan. That's why I want to be a Jedi; to help people."

Obi-Wan lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "And to use a lightsaber and explore the galaxy, am I right?"

Luke's cheeks colored. "That, too."

The Jedi Master waggled a finger. "A Jedi does not crave adventure or excitement." His amusement faded into a look of concern. "Though I fear we may encounter entirely too much of it today."

Luke broke into a grin, trying and failing to conceal his enthusiasm. "Great! Oh, I mean...poor us."

Obi-Wan was unsure whether to laugh or frown at the eager young boy. _He is more like his father than he knows._ The graying Master settled for allowing a chuckle. _At least he's honest._

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Some hours later after landing on none other than his father's homeworld of Tatooine, Luke shifted about uncomfortably in his dark blue cloak. "What was my name again?" To his annoyance he would not be allowed to announce he was a Jedi to the galaxy. His first mission with Obi-Wan would see them both traveling incognito. Consequently, they would be using aliases. Luke didn't like his ragged and baggy blue and gray outfit at all. It itched.

Obi-Wan's serious eyes clouded with worry, and he sighed. _Perhaps he is too young and too high-strung for such a mission._ "You are Deak Starkiller, traveling with your eccentric uncle to procure some power converters for your moisture vaporators."

Luke nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "Okay. And your name is Ben, right?"

Obi-Wan nodded once. "Correct. Remember, Padawan, in order for this ruse to be effective, you must not call me Master or by my name."

The boy grinned. "Sure, Uncle Ben. And my name's not Padawan."

Obi-Wan gave a faint smile. "Right you are, nephew. Come on, then." He pulled his own dusty gray hood low over his head and pressed the release for the hatch. It slid open, revealing a very uninspiring landscape of sand dunes and rock formations just touched by the first pink light of dawn. The shape of a haphazardly-organized town loomed in the distance.

Luke wasn't impressed and wore a frown as he followed Obi-Wan down the ramp. Used to the hustle and bustle of Coruscant and the pastoral landscape of Naboo, Tatooine was about the ugliest place he had ever seen. "People actually live on this rock?" he asked in disbelief.

Obi-Wan frowned at the boy. "Never judge a planet by first impressions. But yes, people do live here...and you must behave as though you do, too."

Luke nodded reluctantly, still scratching at the itchy blue tunic and wishing he was somewhere else. This was not what he had had in mind when imagining his life as a Jedi. "So how are power convertors going to get us to the Senator?" he wanted to know. This certainly seemed a roundabout way to locate a missing politician who had gotten too free with his cards.

"In all likelihood our friend is being held by the Hutts," explained Obi-Wan. "We have a contact to locate, and if one is going to climb a ladder, one must always begin at the bottom."

 _He can say that again,_ thought Luke as he took another look around. Tatooine definitely qualified as the bottom end of something. Hopefully it wouldn't smell as bad as it looked.

 ** _****A/N: No, I have not abandoned this fic. I know it's been months since the last update, but what can I say? Job searches, finishing up an epic fantasy novel (not FanFic), and an insane amount of reading will tend to cramp one's style. More IS coming...but I cannot guarantee when. :( Hang in there!****_**


	13. Contradictions

The Jedi Temple had the reputation of being one of the quietest places in the galaxy. Since the last defeat of the Sith, that reputation had been well-deserved. The Temple was a place of meditation, learning, and reflection. The loudest spots were undoubtedly the Younglings' corridor and the sparring rooms, but even they were rarely any louder than a grunt or a collection of giggles. Jedi were trained from toddlerhood that raised voices were unnecessary and therefore discouraged. Things had gotten a bit louder since the arrival of the Jedi that went home on the weekend, but not by much.

To Leia, the quiet was deafening, and it had been since Luke had left their shared room. And it wasn't only Luke who had left the area. Almost all of her peers were gone now, replaced by the next batch of Younglings bound for the Initiate Trials. Those who had passed now bunked with their masters. Roughly half had already gone on their first missions. The rest, who had not passed, had either left the Order or gone on to the Jedi Service Corps. Only three of Hawkbat Clan still bunked in the Youngling corridor in the hopes of passing next year.

The first week had been very lonely. Leia didn't miss Derrik at all, but everyone else, she did. She hardly ever saw them anymore except by passing them in the halls or during meals. It hadn't taken long for them to change. Some became more insufferable than ever while others took on far more serious outlooks on life. That was expected, at least to a certain extent. Padawans left the safety of the Temple in preparation for their lives as Jedi. Those lives were anything but safe. Jedi put themselves in harm's way nearly every day to protect others. Sometimes this led to injury or even death. The only reward was the satisfaction of helping.

Leia had expected to miss Luke more than anyone else. They still tried to sit together at meals, but that was the extent of their contact outside shared classes. Luke now had to follow Obi-Wan's schedule and essentially become the man's shadow everywhere but in the Council chambers. Leia was still allowed to go home on weekends, but thus far she had refused that privilege. Even seeing Luke in the sparring room and at mealtime was better than nothing.

It had not taken long for Leia to notice a definite change in her brother. His walk was different. His attitude was different. He was still the reckless and enthusiastic young boy who loved being a Jedi, but he seemed a little more on edge than before now that he was under Obi-Wan's tutelage. Whenever his master was around Luke was stiffer than ever, watching his mannerisms closely. When Obi-Wan wasn't anywhere to be seen, Luke spoke anxiously of trying to impress the man and hoping he was doing well enough. Such talk rang loudly in Leia's ears as she continued to be the odd one out, and before long she couldn't stand it. The last few days she had insisted on changing the subject.

Now, with Luke gone on his first mission, Leia's loneliness was more profound than ever. The last two days she had shuffled through her classes and went to bed with a heavy heart _. I should be with him,_ she thought. _Why doesn't Master Obi-Wan or anyone else want me?_

It was the Dark Side. It had to be. With Anakin's power and Leia's brush with the Dark Side, the Masters must have been afraid of her. _What about Father? Is he afraid of me?_

That was unlikely. Anakin wasn't afraid of anything except losing his family. Leia's only conclusion was that her father was so disappointed in her that he refused to keep training her.

That was the worst idea of all. It put Leia in an even lower mood as she shuffled to her next class.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Little did Leia know that at that very moment her father was up in the Council Chambers making an attempt to help his daughter. Only long years of training kept Anakin from chewing his lips with nerves. There could not be a full Council session with Obi-Wan and Plo Koon off on separate assignments. Only Yoda and Mace Windu had agreed to see Anakin on such short notice.

At the moment the green elf and the dark-skinned Master were exchanging looks of uncertainty. Anakin had just made a surprising request.

"So...you once again wish to take on your daughter as a Padawan learner?" asked Mace, frowning.

"Yes, Master Windu," nodded Anakin.

"Even after being so adamant that both children would be better off training under someone else?" Mace squinted at the younger master, his frown deepening.

"A decision which I deeply regret," Anakin admitted.

Yoda was thoughtful. "Changed your mind, you have? For what reason?"

Anakin grimaced. "As you told me at the time, Master Yoda, I was letting my emotions interfere with my judgment. Now I see that I made a mistake."

Yoda rested his chin on his gimer stick. "Hmm. And not letting your emotions interfere now, are you?"

Anakin sighed and stared at the floor. "It would be untruthful to say that there are no emotions involved...but she's my daughter. I know when she's suffering, whether physically or emotionally. All that aside, I can't help but see the situation as terribly unfair. Leia passed the Initiate trials. She has as much right as her classmates to be taken on as a Padawan."

Mace shrugged. "None have approached us. A Padawan cannot be taken on except at the request of a Master."

Anakin frowned at this statement. "With respect, Master Windu, is that true? As I recall, I never requested a Padawan when you sent Ahsoka Tano to me. I don't regret training her, but..."

Mace's frown returned, and he let Yoda answer.

"Exceptions, there sometimes are, if a good match has been sensed," Yoda pointed out. "Not the case has this been."

"Well, I'm making the request now." Anakin took a step forward. "Let me train Leia. I think both of us would benefit from the pairing beyond just being father and daughter. You must have seen how Leia has been slacking off in her studies lately. She feels unwanted and inferior. She needs guidance."

"Hmph!" Yoda pounded his stick on the floor and jumped off his seat to hobble toward Anakin. "Regretted, you did, taking your children on before. Change your mind again, will you? Hmm?" The green elf tapped his walking stick on Anakin's boot.

"Master Yoda is right. This...indecisiveness of yours is troubling, Anakin. Are you certain this time that you're not making this request out of pity?"

Anakin shook his head impatiently. "It's not pity, Master. It's concern. I'm worried about what not having a Master will do to Leia."

Yoda pursed his lips. "Learn to deal with disappointment, a Jedi must."

Mace nodded in agreement. "Yes. And as to her self-worth, she should learn that it should not depend on when and if a person is taken on as an apprentice. Self-pity has no place in a Jedi's life. Our purpose is to benefit others, not ourselves."

Anakin wanted to growl with frustration. _They don't understand._ Yes, his emotions were involved. It was impossible for them not to be. He only wanted his daughter to succeed. After a deep breath he met their eyes. "So...is that a no?"

Yoda nodded. "Time you both need. And not ready is Leia to be taken on as a Padawan. Maturity, she needs, if her marks suffer from disappointment. Further preparedness against the Dark Side, she needs."

 _I could give her that. I could help! I know where she's been._ While Anakin wanted to protest, he knew it would do no good at that point. "What will happen to Leia if she isn't chosen as an apprentice by anyone else?"

Mace straightened his spine. "Leia is young; much younger than the age that apprentices are usually chosen. The cutoff age stands at fourteen standard years."

"Time she has," added Yoda with a nod. "Until such time arrives, advise her you may, but take her as a Padawan you may not."

Anakin's shoulders fell, and he sighed in disappointment. "Understood, Masters. Thank you for seeing me." He hardly heard the parting greetings of 'may the Force be with you' as he bowed and exited the chambers.

It was just as well that Leia had not been told about this appointment. She didn't need anything else to dampen her spirits.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Padawans had little reason to question their masters. Luke had certainly not anticipated questioning Obi-Wan. But by the time they had finished procuring the unneeded power convertors and visited three cantinas looking for their elusive contact, the boy was beginning to wonder if his master's strategy would really work.

It was in the last cantina where Obi-Wan finally located the local trader who claimed to have information about the missing Senator. While his master sat down to speak with the nervous Rodian, Luke wandered about in search of something to occupy himself with. He would not go far, of course. He would keep his master within earshot and the range of his senses. Other than a quick glance and a frown, Obi-Wan didn't protest.

The cantina was a bustling, smoky, dingy place, filled with beings of all descriptions and enough different kinds of body odor to wrinkle the snout of a Bothan. Most seemed to be in the middle of doing something shady or calculating which patron to quietly rob, murder, and dump in an alley. Jedi weren't supposed to jump to conclusions, but the sense of impending danger- however mild- was everywhere. Luke's eyes were wide as he took everything in.

Apparently all this was distracting enough for Luke to ignore the nearest danger sense until the last minute. By then it was too late, and he ended up tripping over the feet of a very large and ugly reptilian humanoid. The creature snarled a few words that might have been 'watch where you're going!'

Luke turned five shades of red as he scrambled to his feet. "S-sorry. Excuse me, please. I didn't see you." His discreet exit was arrested by the face-sized palm of the alien he had tripped over landing heavily on his shoulder. A rough yank whirled him around and he came face-to-face with the creature, who was still very upset. The young Jedi gulped, but stood tall...which did not work out very well given the boy's short stature. "Will you let me go, please?"

Apparently this wasn't enough for the alien, who waved a fist in Luke's face with another menacing smile.

Luke roughly pulled away, trying to remember that Jedi avoided getting into fights, and straightened his tunic. "I said I was sorry. If you'll excuse me, I'll get out of your-" Once again his attempt to flee ended with a hand reaching out to whirl him around. Luke ducked before dropping low in an attempt to disappear into the crowd. Full defense was impossible without a lightsaber, and Obi-Wan had been hoping to keep a low profile.

Said Jedi had already redirected his attention to Luke. Not only the noise that had made other heads turn, but the sense of impending danger for the boy made Obi-Wan frown deeply at his apprentice from across the room. When Luke was shoved again and the antagonist made an exclamation about the Force, the Master rose to his feet, hand on hilt in case Luke needed rescuing.

Luke glanced at Obi-Wan for half a moment before trying one last thing to avoid being flattened. "You do not wish to hurt me...you want to return to your drink," he said, waving his hand.

The creature let out an exclamation of rage before grabbing for Luke. It was only then that the boy recognized his foe as a Yinchorri, which were immune to Jedi mind tricks.

"Luke! Down!" shouted Obi-Wan as he ignited his lightsaber and swung at the Yinchorri.

Accordingly Luke dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way. The yelp and smell of burnt flesh that followed made the boy cringe. He almost didn't want to look up for fear of seeing someone's lopped-off limb. He sighed with relief in seeing that Obi-Wan had only nicked the Yinchorri.

"Jedi!" exclaimed several people in several languages. About half of the patrons -those that were sober- leaped to their feet and scrambled away from the glowing blue blade. The other half drew their blasters.

"Luke, get behind me," ordered Obi-Wan evenly. He turned to the crowd in a ready stance. "We have no quarrel with you. You will stand aside and let us go about our business," he said, wiggling his fingers to add a bit of Force persuasion.

Most of the others fell back, scratching their heads in confusion before sitting down to their drinks. Unfortunately six of them advanced. The Yinchorri had friends.

Obi-Wan grimaced. "Oh, dear. Luke, these are Yinchorri, they're-"

"I know. They're immune to the Force," mumbled Luke over his shoulder. "I already tried."

"All right. Stay at my back, and keep your head low. Try to relax...concentrate," he urged in a near-whisper.

Luke nodded and took deep breaths even as his heart began to pound with nerves. He knew he would need to have full control over his senses if he was to escape in one piece. The Force was his ally. _And a powerful ally it is,_ he could almost hear Yoda saying. For his part, the young Jedi knew he would feel better about these odds if he had his own lightsaber. He would have to make do using the Force to aid him. "I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered.

With a cry of rage, the quintet of Yinchorri attacked. Some were drunk, and so their blaster bolts went high and wide. Other cantina patrons were hit or barely missed, re-igniting their rage. More beings jumped into the melee until it was nothing more than a bar room brawl.

Obi-Wan seemed to be handling things quite well. He dodged, ducked, deflected, destroyed weapons, and when necessary, dealt minor injuries so the beings would break off their attacks.

Luke, after being knocked around once or twice, relaxed into the flow of the Force. He moved when it told him to and defended himself with a few well-aimed kicks and Force pushes. When a Yinchorri went after him, he mentally pulled a bottle of ale off the bar and dropped it over the reptile's head. A smirk of amusement tugged at the boy's mouth when the alien staggered backward with a disoriented look on his face. The smile disappeared when a sudden urging from the Force made him dodge to the left, narrowly avoiding Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

In less than a minute it was clear that the pair worked well together. There even came a few moments when they were almost moving in unison...and then Luke's concentration wavered and he had to scramble to avoid catastrophe.

The fight lasted less than five minutes. Sweating and tossing his graying bangs out of his eyes, Obi-Wan eyed his moaning opponents. "Now...are there any further disputes?"

Bar patrons scattered, some even fleeing out the door. The rest went back to what they had been doing before the battle.

Finally Obi-Wan relaxed and deactivated his lightsaber. He turned to Luke, whose blue eyes were wide. "Are you all right?"

Luke nodded, fighting a grin. "That was-"

The older Jedi held up a palm to quiet his apprentice. "-regrettable. Jedi never go looking for trouble. You're fortunate to still be in one piece." Here he cast a critical eye at Luke's split lip and the bruise forming below one eye.

Luke's grin vanished. "But it was an accident."

"Accident?"

"I tripped over his feet. I tried to apologize, but he wouldn't let me."

"Ah. Then you should have been minding your surroundings, young one," berated Obi-Wan quietly.

"I know. I'm sorry, Master Kenobi." Luke hunched his shoulders in embarrassment.

Obi-Wan shrugged as the pair made a discreet exit. "No need to apologize. Though the odds were against us, we seem to have come through on top. You did surprisingly well in defending yourself without a lightsaber. Only, do try to pay more attention in the future," he added, taking Luke's shoulder. "Not all battles will be so easy to win."

Humbly Luke nodded. "Yes, master."

Obi-Wan released Luke's shoulder, then grimaced at Luke's shiner, lifting his chin to take a close look. It was starting to swell and obscure his vision. "Can you see out of that?"

Luke shrugged. "Jedi don't have to see- ow!"

Thoughtfully the Jedi Master released Luke's chin. "Hmm. Well, it will have to wait. I've the location of our missing Senator, and we haven't much time before the Hutts decide to collect. Come along."

The boy willingly nodded and scurried to keep up with Obi-Wan's long stride. As they walked along he recalled the expressions of surprise on the bar patrons they had just dispatched and cracked a smile. After a moment he chuckled.

Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow at his young apprentice. "I find nothing funny about being involved in a bar fight, Luke."

Luke tried smoothing over his mirth. "It's not that, Master. It's...well, didn't you see the looks on their faces as they were leaving? And it was kind of fun dropping that bottle on the one man's head with the Force." he chuckled again. "I know, we're supposed to keep the peace, and I don't like hurting anyone, but it _was_ funny to see everyone leave in such a hurry."

Obi-Wan frowned, shook his head, and sighed _. Should I be worried?_ "All I think is that you needn't be worried about living up to your father's legacy, Luke. You are more like him than you know." _Perhaps too much,_ he added to himself. It was a frightening idea.


	14. Rivalry

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap...

Padme wasn't often given to nervous habits. At the moment she was so distracted that she didn't even notice her own hand tapping the sterile surface of the exam table until the nurse that just left the room paused to lift an eyebrow at her. With coloring cheeks, the former Senator put her hands behind her back and slid off the table to change back into her normal clothes as the door slid shut. The exam gown was short and skimpy and only added to Padme's nerves _. I shouldn't have waited so long,_ she reflected.

Despite Anakin's concerns, she had put off seeing a medic after the worst of the symptoms had disappeared. Nearly two months had passed since, and in that time her digestive system began rebelling on her. She was plagued with heartburn and gas. Just in the last week she noticed that certain pieces of clothing were tighter than they used to be.

It was all so odd. Padme had not changed her eating habits or activity levels, and yet she had gained weight...and it wasn't just some middle-aged padding, either. Rather than being soft and flabby, her stomach was hard.

Padme hadn't often worried about her weight before. As a teenager and young woman, she led an active enough life that she stayed slim until her pregnancy. Afterward, chasing after Force-sensitive toddlers was more than enough to burn off the remaining 'baby fat', and she hardly ever stepped on a scale. She was too busy to obsess over things like that. As long as she was healthy, she was happy.

What worried Padme this time was that the firm bulge in her lower abdomen might be some sort of growth that indicated a serious problem. The sudden departure of the medic hadn't helped matters, either. It meant she would be left in suspense.

 _Please don't be anything serious,_ she prayed to the unknown. All but the worst diseases were curable, but such a thing might send poor Anakin over the edge again. He worried so when she was unwell. It wouldn't help the children, either. Leia had been growing more and more withdrawn since passing the Initiate Trials. Hearing her mother was ill would do her no good.

She had just secured the last hook-and-loop closure on her dress when her medic reentered the room, datapad in hand.

Dr. Giri shook her head and sighed. "Oh. Padme. I'm sorry to leave so suddenly, but I had a call."

Padme shrugged. "It's all right. I understand."

Dr. Giri nodded, pausing to consult her datapad. "Thank you. Won't you sit down? I'd like to discuss the results of your scan. I have to tell you, I wish you'd come in sooner."

 _Here it comes._ Padme sat down in the chair and took a deep breath, gripping the armrests. "Don't gloss anything over. Just tell me."

Surprisingly, the medic chuckled. "It's all right. I won't leave you in suspense. First of all, you are perfectly healthy. There is nothing wrong with you..."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Anakin greeted the return of his son and former master from their excursion to Ilum with enthusiasm and relief; not only for his sake, but for Leia's. As her mood was worse when her brother was away, it was easy to think that having him around would make her feel better.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Though the boy had only been on three short missions in the last two months, his return was greeted by Leia with only momentary happiness. It never took long for her smiles to fade into jealous frowns. This last mission had been the worst. Luke had returned with his own lightsaber. Leia nearly turned green with envy and immediately agreed to go home that weekend. Her interactions with her parents were only halfhearted, and Anakin had heard the girl crying herself to sleep. Any attempts to ask her about it resulted in steady denials.

Despite all this, even Anakin couldn't have predicted what would happen only a week after Luke had built his lightsaber.

For weeks the boy had seen the change in his twin and it worried him. They hardly ever spoke anymore. One afternoon when he had a rare moment of free time, Luke finally decided to seek her out and ask what was going on.

It was easy enough. Leia's favorite place in the Temple was the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and Luke could sense his sisters' presence well before entering the bright room. She sat quietly on the edge of one of the planters, apparently trying to meditate. Any calm she felt began to fade the moment she sensed her brother. That alone was enough to make Luke pause midstride and frown. Wasn't she happy to see him?

"I know you're there. You don't have to hide," grumbled Leia with her eyes still closed.

"I'm not hiding," said Luke, stepping closer. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"What about?" Leia sighed.

"Well, what's wrong?" Luke wanted to know.

Leia turned away and scoffed. "Why would anything be wrong?"

Luke shrugged. "Well, it's just that you've been acting really strange ever since the Trials." When Leia frowned at him, the boy continued. "You're sad and angry all the time, and I hardly ever see you anymore."

Leia bristled. "That's not my fault. You're gone half the time!"

Luke pursed his lips. "Well, even when I am here, we almost never talk. Are you mad at me, or something?"

The girl sadly shook her head.

"Well, why, then?" When Leia didn't answer, Luke sat next to her with a sigh. "Something is wrong, Leia. I know it is. I can feel it. You...there's something different about you," he faltered.

"You're the one that's different," blurted Leia. "Before those dumb Trials, you were just Luke. Now you're an apprentice to Father's best friend and you act like a nerfherder around him. You're always tiptoeing around like you're afraid, but when you talk about him, you practically worship him."

"I do not! And you're the one who's been acting like a nerfherder. You used to be my best friend, and now you're moping around like nothing matters anymore. Come on. I know you're upset about not being chosen as an apprentice-"

"You don't know anything," glared the girl.

Luke lifted his brows. "I know you're falling behind in your classes-"

Leia jumped to her feet in alarm. "Who told you that?"

Luke shrugged. "I heard Dad telling Mom. I only brought it up because I'm worried. So are Mom and Dad, and Master Kenobi. It's like you've just given up on being a Jedi."

Leia clenched her fists for a moment. Sadness soon overtook her. "Well, why bother? I'm never going to be one at this rate!"

Luke sighed and reached for her shoulder. "Sure you will. I understand-"

Leia wrenched away and began stepping backwards. "No, you _don't_! Out of everyone that passed the Trials, I'm the only one who wasn't chosen. You were...by Master Kenobi, of all people! And now you're off exploring the galaxy, being Mr. Perfect. You'll never understand!"

Luke took a step back himself, startled at this new side of Leia. "You don't have to get nasty. You know I'm not perfect. Stop being so jealous all the time."

"Jealous?"

"You know why no one chose you? 'Cause you used the Dark Side, that's why. You just need to grow up a little more."

It was the wrong thing to say. For a moment there was nothing but horror on Leia's face. Then there was only anger. Her face reddened and she began to fight back coming tears. While Luke's tone had been more from a wish to help than to hurt, it sounded to Leia like a case of superiority. _Luke thinks he's better than me. I'll show him!_ Her arms trembled in rage, and at once she remembered the hilt she had smuggled from the sparring room in order to get in some more practice. Angrily she ignited the blade. "Say that again," she dared.

Luke's eyes widened in confusion and shock. "Hey...wait a minute, where'd you get that? You know you're not supposed to take the practice sabers out of the sparring room."

Leia's only answer was to glare. "You think you're better than me? Prove it. Right now!"

Luke showed his palms and backpedaled, alarmed at the turn this conversation had taken. "I don't! Leia, put that down. I don't want to fight you-" And he ducked to avoid a slash at his head. "Hey! I'm your brother, remember?"

Leia's eyes were clouding with tears, but still she advanced. "You're not going to beat me again. Ever!"

Frightened and hurt, Luke's hand to his new hilt, wondering what a real lightsaber would do to a training saber. "Leia, stop. You're scaring me. Now put that away."

"Don't tell me what to do!" And she brought the saber high for another swing.

Forced to defend himself, Luke finally drew his own blade and brought it up to meet Leia's. To his relief they met and crackled. At least the blades could parry each other. The next few slashes were blocked in turn, but Luke found no pleasure in keeping the upper hand. He was bewildered and saddened by this drastic change in behavior. A chill seemed to periodically sweep by them as the Dark Side rose and fell. Luke's worst fear was that he would actually strike his sister and seriously hurt her, so he was careful in his counterattacks. "Leia," he panted after a while, "stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

Leia just kept attacking like a wild thing, letting out all of the anger and jealousy that had been building in the last few weeks. Thrice she found openings and singed Luke's forearms. Unfortunately it didn't look as if she would stop until she had knocked the saber from her brother's hands.

Luke winced as Leia's blade nicked his cheek and momentarily lashed out for revenge. He whipped his blade around and just barely tapped her shin. As soon as he felt her pain, he regretted it.

Leia yelped and hopped away, but the pain only spurred her anger further. She growled and swung about at a furious pace. She hardly even saw her brother anymore. Now she saw an enemy. Even the presence of the Jedi Master who had suddenly entered the room went unnoticed until her weapon was torn from her hands and flew away, deactivated. The same thing happened to Luke's. The startled twins wheeled to see Obi-Wan catch the hilts in his hand.

"Enough!" he shouted, as close to anger as either twin had ever seen him. Obi-Wan marched with a quick and firm stride until he was standing between the children. "What in blazes do you two think you are doing? Are you trying to kill each other?"

Luke and Leia both shrank back in turn. Luke hung his head in shame while Leia stumbled backward with a bewildered expression. As her anger faded, pain and embarrassment took over.

Severe green eyes looked down upon the two as Obi-Wan crossed his arms. "Well? Is at least one of you going to answer?"

Luke's face burned. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan turned to his apprentice. "Luke, what happened? Why were you fighting your sister?"

"I..." Luke glanced at Leia, who seemed just as disoriented as she had after wounding Derrik. "Leia was trying to fight me. But she didn't mean it!"

"Perhaps Leia might answer that for herself. Leia?" Obi-Wan lifted his brows at the girl.

Leia blinked and found she couldn't look at the Jedi Master. Tears filled her eyes that had nothing to do with the wound on her leg. _I've done it again. Why? Why did I do that?_

Obi-Wan was disturbed as he took Leia by the shoulder to turn her back towards him. "Leia, look at me. What happened?"

The girl had only to glance at Obi-Wan to see the disappointment in his eyes...and the fear. _Luke is right. He is afraid of me._ Leia squeezed her eyes shut, letting the tears fall and tensing as if expecting a blow.

Luke took a step forward. "It was my fault, Master Kenobi. I said something that upset her and-"

Obi-Wan showed his palm to the boy. "Luke...while I expect part of the fault lies with each of you, I want to hear what Leia has to say. Leia?" The girl said nothing as further tears slid down her cheeks. The Master sensed fear and remorse, but it was little comfort. The chill of the Dark Side lingered. Leia had touched it again. Why? Obi-Wan decided to quiet his tone and redirect his question. "Leia, where did you get this training lightsaber?"

"From the Sparring Room," mumbled Leia through her tears.

"So I guessed," said the Master, relieved to at least have some sort of response. "Why did you take it?"

"P-practice," sniffled Leia, hastily wiping her eyes, but still not looking up.

"I needn't remind you that sparring is not allowed outside and unsupervised. My question is why you were fighting with your brother."

This question was greeted with more tears. Leia couldn't admit to a member of the Council that she had been angry again...that she had again touched the Dark Side. It would spell the end of her Jedi career. So she turned away and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, Master Kenobi," blurted Luke again. "Leia's hurt. It was my fault."

Obi-Wan glanced again at the numerous small nicks that the children had dealt each other. Leia's did seem to be deeper than Luke's, and she seemed to be limping. Clearly Leia wasn't going to say any more on the matter. The presence of Anakin, who had just barely touched down on return from his last mission, decided things. She is always more open with her father than anyone else. Perhaps he can find out what happened. Of course knowing Anakin, the young father already knew his children were in some sort of distress and would not rest until he had spoken with them. The Master finally nodded. "All right. If no one is going to give a clearer explanation, then I think the best course of action would be to separate you two until you have clearer heads. Luke, go to your quarters. Leia, come with me and have that leg looked at."

Luke wanted to protest, but couldn't argue with his master now. He could only follow miserably behind as Leia limped along. Her pain stabbed him like a hot lance, and he couldn't help but turn to her. "Leia...I'm sorry."

Leia didn't even look up.

 _A/N: Sorry this is taking so long to finish! My brain is still divided between wondering about Episode 8, looking for work, and my own innumerable storylines for original fiction. I *will* finish this...someday..._


	15. Fears

His brows were knit, his pace stiff and hurried, and his stomach twisting as Anakin made his way from the starship hangar to the Infirmary. Artoo had fallen behind long ago and must have since given up trying to keep up with his master, as he was nowhere in sight. Anakin didn't pay much attention to who was or wasn't following him. His only thoughts were on Leia and getting to her as quickly as possible. What he wanted to do was pull out all the stops and run flat-out until he'd reached her. Protocol didn't even matter when his little girl was hurt.

While the injury wasn't serious, the circumstances behind it were unbelievable. Some said it was a training accident. Others said they'd been fighting. All Obi-Wan had said was that, while Luke had been the one to hurt his twin sister, Leia had been the aggressor. Had Obi-Wan not intervened, one or both of them could have lost a limb...or worse.

Anakin couldn't believe that. His children would never hurt each other on purpose. Luke, in particular, would rather lose his own legs than hurt Leia. What had happened?

 _The sooner I get there, the sooner I can find out,_ he told himself firmly. But still he didn't increase his pace. Even so agitated, Anakin knew he wasn't about to do anyone any favors if he mowed them down in his hurry to get to Leia. So, forcing his breathing to stay in check, he proceeded at a brisk walk.

He'd already tried to contact Leia through the Force, but she wasn't answering him. Luke had, but he was too upset to say more than 'I'm sorry'. That didn't help.

The tall Jedi was ready to walk straight past the Healers at the entrance by the time he reached the Infirmary. Still he forced himself to follow procedure and inquire politely of his daughter, thank the healer in charge, and make for the nearest treatment room. Anakin slowed just enough to avoid bursting through the open door, approaching at a cautious walk. "Leia?"

Leia sat on an exam table while a Healer quietly secured an elastic bacta bandage to her leg. Tears were still drying on her cheeks as she looked up, then turned away almost immediately, fighting more tears.

"Calm yourself, young Leia." the Healer remarked as she pulled away from the leg. "Remember... breathe. The Force will help you. Now rest." After a brief touch to the girl's shoulder, the healer bowed for Anakin and met him in the doorway. "Master Skywalker."

"Healer Sulani," greeted Anakin with his own short bow. "Is she all right?"

"Young Leia's leg received a moderate burn, but it will heal quickly. If you wish to take her back to her quarters, you may."

"Thank you." Anakin moved to stand beside his daughter and reached for her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Leia pressed her lips together, almost glaring at such a question. Of course she wasn't all right! Couldn't he see that? But he meant physically, so Leia had to nod.

Anakin nodded back, almost wincing despite himself. The Force told him that it wasn't serious, just painful. "Can you walk?"

Leia sniffled, shrugged, and slid off the bed, unconsciously batting away her father's well-meaning hand. Her leg gave no trouble when she walked other than a twinge that could be ignored, and thankfully her father wasn't acting like he was going to push. He said nothing until they'd reached her quarters.

Anakin pressed his lips together with concern. "Leia, what happened? Who hurt you?"

The girl grimaced. "Luke," she admitted.

Anakin was disturbed. "But why? Why would Luke want to hurt you?"

Leia stared at her feet. "I didn't give him any choice."

Anakin frowned. "What do you mean?"

The girl felt the vise that had only just loosened from her throat return with a vengeance. She couldn't look at her father. "It was my fault. I stole a training lightsaber from the sparring room. He was trying to tell me how wrong I was, how much I've changed since the Initiate Trials...he said the reason no one will take me as an apprentice is because...because I've used the Dark Side." Leia's voice wavered as she clenched her fist. "It made me so angry...mostly because it's true. I never meant to hurt him," she added, almost defensive, "but I...I just wanted him to stop talking." Emotion choked her.

Anakin was feeling his brow furrow deeper with each sentence, and grimaced at the confirmation of his fears. Leia had used the Dark Side again, but this time against her own twin. His heart cried out against it. How could his children turn against each other? While there was a touch of bitterness in Leia's voice, all this couldn't be simple jealousy. Luke and Leia's love for each other was too deep for such a petty thing to divide them. He took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Why did you take the lightsaber in the first place?"

Leia's cheeks burned. "I thought I could practice. It still didn't do any good against Luke."

The young father closed his eyes with a sigh. His children had dueled with the intent to hurt one another, if even on one side. Leia must have been attacking at a furious clip for Luke to feel forced into wounding her. Even now Anakin could sense his son's guilt and worry for Leia. This must be addressed. "Leia...you already know you must control your anger. But these last few weeks it seems as if it's has gotten worse instead of better. Something is wrong, and I sense that your disappointment over the Trials is just the beginning." Leia's expression told Anakin that he had hit the mark. He was gentle as he took Leia by her shoulders and turned her to face him. "What's wrong, Leia? What's making you so angry at everyone?"

"I'm not angry at _anyone_ ," argued Leia desperately.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"All right, then what are you angry at?"

Leia's response was to turn away, fighting tears.

Anakin felt helpless and heartbroken, but coddling the girl wouldn't solve any problems. If she was dabbling in the Dark Side even after promising to avoid it, something had to be done. The young father crouched to her level. "Look at me. Leia," he prodded, lifting his daughter's head. He was stricken to see fear on her face. "Leia, what's wrong?" He stopped, blinking. "What are you afraid of?"

Leia only bowed her head, unable to look her father in the eye.

Is it me? Anakin's heart broke at the idea. Had the display of power on Balmorra done more damage than he'd thought? Was she afraid that his not taking Leia on as an apprentice meant some of his love had been lost? Ridiculous as that notion was, Anakin had no intention of letting it be. Again he lifted Leia's chin. "Leia, look at me. I don't know what going on, but never hide your feelings out of fear. You know you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm your father, and I love more than you could imagine. And I'm not angry with you...I'm worried. I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me anything. I can't read your mind. Please...talk to me."

Seeing the concern with which her father spoke made the dam break, and Leia finally burst into tears.

Anakin couldn't stand to see this and finally gathered her into his arms, smoothing her hair and rocking side to side. He gave her a good five minutes to cry and get it out of her system before speaking again. "All right. Will you tell, me then? What are you afraid of?"

Leia shuddered, doubting that her father would understand, but needing to speak her fears. "Me. I know I need to...to control my feelings. But it seems the harder I try, the more I lose control. I am jealous of Luke, but at the same time I miss him. I never see him anymore, and when I do, he's always more concerned about Master Kenobi than anything else. Sometimes...I know it's terrible, but sometimes I wish neither of us had passed the Trials. Then nothing would have changed. It seems ever since then everything has been going wrong."

The Jedi Master took this with a slow nod. Somehow he wasn't surprised. Change, especially when it involved family, was difficult to accept. "You can't stop the change...any more than you can stop the sun from setting," he said, sadly echoing the words of his mother before her only child had left with Qui-Gon Jinn all those years ago. The pain of losing Shmi was much the same as the pain in his severed arm; he had accepted it and healed, but he was never the same.

"I know, and I didn't mean it like that." Leia sagged as he sat on her bed. "Maybe I'm just not supposed to be a Jedi. Maybe the Force is just telling me to quit...to leave the Order, and do something else."

"What?" Anakin felt as if he had just been punched in the chest. Leia, ever since learning what the Force was, had wanted nothing more than to follow the path of the Jedi. She had fought for it, struggled, and endured. For Leia to give up on anything, especially something so hard-won, was unthinkable. "You don't mean that, do you? Of course you can be a Jedi. You have just as much talent in the Force as Luke-"

"Then why won't anyone take me as an apprentice?" Leia stared sadly at her father. "Luke is right, isn't he? It's because I used the Dark Side."

"Partly," admitted Anakin though he was loathe to dash her hopes with the truth. "Very few Jedi have ever dealt with the Dark Side beyond just in theory...it's not something everyone has experience with."

Leia nodded with confirmation. "They're afraid of me, aren't they?" When Anakin opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head. "I _know_ they are! Well, so am I."

Sighing, Anakin shook his head. "No, Leia. They're not afraid of you. Concerned, yes...even cautious. But all they want is for you to be paired with a master that will suit your needs, and vice versa. There just...doesn't seem to be one at this point."

Leia's shoulders fell. "If that's so, then why stay? What's the point in being a Jedi if I'm never going to be anything but a youngling?"

Anakin frowned. "I said 'at this point'. That doesn't mean never. There are still countless other Jedi across the galaxy, some of whom don't come to Coruscant for years. Someday, someone _will_ choose you. I know it. You just have to be patient."

Leia stared sadly at her father as the tears nearly returned. "Why won't you?"

Those three words were like a vibroblade to Anakin's heart. He nearly winced. "Leia, I tried. I asked the Council if I could take you, and they said no. I'm sorry."

Seeing the pain those words caused her father, Leia closed her eyes. So that was it. Angry thoughts at the Council came and went, leaving only the same hollow feeling that had been plaguing her for months. "It's not fair," she mumbled. It was a pathetic protest, and she knew it.

"Life rarely is," shrugged Anakin. "We just can't go against the Council. I've done that too much already. But listen...even if I'm not allowed to train you anymore, that doesn't mean I can't help you...and I want to, Leia. Will you let me?" He offered Leia his hand.

"How, Father?" the girl wanted to know.

"I can teach you how to fight the Dark Side...how to keep it from getting a hold on your heart," said Anakin. He had enough experience with that vile thing to last a lifetime, and would have rather lost his three flesh limbs than see his daughter come as close as he did to turning.

"But you don't know the Dark Side, Father. You're the greatest Jedi that ever lived. How could you?"

It was like another wound in Anakin's soul. For a moment he was ready to confess his shortcomings to his daughter...but would she fear him, then? She feared the Dark Side enough to prefer death. That could be seen in her eyes. _No. I can't tell her what I've done. She'd never forgive me._ And so more from dread than pride, Anakin shook his head. "Maybe not...but won't you at least let me try?"

For a long while Leia just stared at her hands. Her father wanted to help, but he didn't understand the deeper-than-bone chill she was trying to fight. She didn't really have anywhere else to turn...and it was better than giving up. Finally she nodded and gripped her father's hand. "There is no try," she added.

Relief nearly gushed out of Anakin, and he managed a smile. "You're right. There isn't." He pulled her into a warm embrace and was gratified when she accepted it.

"Father?" asked Leia after a time.

"Yes?"

"If I still left the Order, would you be angry with me?"

Anakin cringed, but had to shake his head. "No." He pulled back to look sadly at her. "Is that what you really want?"

Leia could only shrug. "I don't know yet."

Maybe she just needed a change of scenery. She hadn't seen her mother apart from holograms in nearly a month. "You can still go home this weekend. I know your mother misses you, and she said she had a surprise for us."

While thoughts of her mother brought warmth to Leia's heart, she had to sigh. "Can't Luke come along?"

Anakin sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry. He's Obi-Wan's apprentice now, and they still have to listen to their masters."

Leia's shoulders fell. Add to that the uncertainty about whether her father would be there himself, and it made going home just another chance for heartbreak. She shook her head. "No. I do miss Mother, but...it's just not the same without you and Luke."

Anakin tried not to look as disappointed as she was. "The life of a Jedi..." He squeezed his daughter's shoulder. "Let me know if you change your mind," he sighed, leaning over to kiss her head.

Leia nodded, turning to impulsively wrap her arms around her father again. "Father, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to use the Dark Side again...I just want it to stop!"

Anakin held his daughter close. "I know. But it's going to be all right. I'll do whatever I can to help. You just need to be willing to let me. Can you do that?"

Leia pulled back to look him in the eye, though her gaze was doubtful. "Yes, Father."

Anakin brushed a lock of loose hair from Leia's face with what he hoped was a look of encouragement. "Good girl. I love you."

She wanted to smile, to laugh, to say she knew it all along, but Leia's self-doubt ran so deep that all the girl could do was bite her lip and nod. "I love you, too."

 _ **A/N: Sorry it took so long! I had to do a complete re-write of the ending, so this is going to take a while. The one thing I can promise is that it's not over, and more is coming.**_


	16. Flight

"All right, Kyber Squadron. This is Master Saluk. All wings check in," crackled the voice in the ears of six young Jedi as they sat in their respective cockpits. One by one they pressed the mic pickup and answered the call.

"Yes, Master. Kyber Two, checking in."

"Kyber Three, checking in."

"Master Saluk, this is Kyber Four, checking in."

"Kyber Eight, checking in."

Jer Saluk, rare enough as a Trandoshan Jedi and a former Ace, had long ago been relegated to flight instructor with a reputation as the third-best pilot in the galaxy; the first being Anakin and the second being Obi-Wan. He frowned at his screen when he noted the absence of one of his students. "Kyber Six?" He sighed and wondered what the girl was doing in that cockpit...other than sweating. The youngling who flew under the call sign Kyber Six was surprisingly hesitant, especially for being the offspring of Anakin. "Kyber Six, do you copy?"

Leia gripped the yoke with both hands and tried to swallow through her dry throat. Despite his promise to help as much as he could, her father had been called away yet again the morning after her confrontation with Luke. Though she didn't want to interfere with her father's work, Leia could not shake the sense of trepidation that had been with her since early morning. _Stop it. Father can take care of himself._ She scolded herself for worrying and fumbled for the mic. "Sorry, Master Saluk. Ah...Kyber Six, checking in."

Saluk pursed his reptilian lips. Normally the female Skywalker projected calm and ease in the cockpit. Ever since her twin brother Luke- call sign Kyber Five -had passed the Trials and gone to be the apprentice of Master Kenobi, she was a bundle of nerves. Behind the controls of a fighter that could be deadly. "Skywalker, are you all right over there?"

Quickly Leia nodded, though she knew Saluk couldn't see her. "Yes, Master."

"You'd better be. It's your first time flying solo. Even one lapse of concentration could cost you your life. I don't want anything less than complete focus today...and that goes for all of you," he added, not wanting to single her out for too long. "Understand?"

"Yes, Master Saluk," said five voices in unison.

Saluk nodded and watched out the left side of his canopy as six triangles fell into an uneven line behind him. The older Delta-wing fighter had seen better years, but it was one of the few ships that had remained in the Jedi's possession after the Clone Wars. These had been retrofit with safety features to make them more suited to young, inexperienced pilots. Normally he had twelve students under his care but that number had been depleted by half since the Initiate Trials. He pressed his mic pickup again. "All right, padawans. This is your first formation, so take it steady. Soft on the yoke, easy on the throttle, and remember; breathe. Keep your focus on your ship and your surroundings. Trust the Force." He waited until all six students had acknowledged before giving them their orders. "All right. Flight pattern alpha, let's go. Just like you practiced in the simulator."

"Copy, Master," said the six students. One by one they fell into a loose diamond formation behind their flight leader. Leia, much to her annoyance, ended up at the rear. She had to tap the throttle a bit more to keep from falling behind.

The flight pattern today was simple and would take the young Jedi-in-training to the outer edge of the open area outside the Jedi Temple complex, around in a North-South figure-eight roughly thirty kilometers in diameter. Then they would perform another figure-eight with the narrow ends pointing to the East and West. The maneuver would be repeated twice before the fighters would fall back into a straight line before heading back into the hangar. If everything went well, the whole exercise would take no more than ten minutes.

Apparently Leia was the only one who was nervous. For the first half of the maneuver all her classmates performed to near perfection, while she kept wobbling at the rear. Master Saluk's calm but insistent reprimands wore on Leia's patience until she finally let go and let the Force take over. Her movements became smoother, her focus deeper. A grim smile of satisfaction touched Leia's lips as she flew completely by feel. So this was what Luke was talking about when he mentioned flying as a type of meditation. The girl's confidence grew to such a level that by the final figure-eight she closed her eyes. The Force rose to meet her, enveloping her...

"Well-done," said Saluk's voice in her ear as the maneuver was completed. "Much better, Skywalker. Your best piloting is always done when you are guided by the Force. Fall back into single file, Padawans. We'll come around once more in a circular pattern and then head back to the hangar. Acknowledge."

"Yes, Master."

"I copy, Master Saluk,"

"Copy that, Master," came the individual acknowledgements from five out of the six students.

Leia didn't respond. She hadn't even heard Saluk's final compliment. The young Jedi was still lost in the Force. Images flashed through her mind, and she struggled to make sense of them.

Then all at once everything was clear. She was no longer in the cockpit but on the surface of some rocky, unidentified planet...there were Weequay, Rodians, and Devaronians everywhere... they were laughing at something...gathered around something...no, someone...it was a man wearing shackles, suspended roughly a meter above the dark floor...the pirates asked him a question, then kicked him viciously...as the man lifted his head, his bruised face came into focus...it was Anakin...

"Father!" cried Leia, blinking as the vision shattered into a million pieces. At the same moment she realized she was headed straight for a wall of the Jedi temple.

"Skywalker!" barked Saluk in both alarm and disappointment. "Bank left! Now!"

Quickly Leia yanked the yoke to the left and swerved to avoid the Temple. She missed it by centimeters and was left with a pounding heart and a heaving chest. To avoid further danger- and to calm herself -she brought the ship around the back and set it to hover. The girl closed her eyes and took in a deep, shuddering breath.

Meanwhile every other Padawan had disappeared into the hangar. Master Saluk closed his eyes and took time to calm himself down before bringing his fighter to hover next to Leia's. He mashed the mic in frustration. "Kyber Six, what are you doing? You began to drift and did not correct course when I asked...and you nearly crashed right into the side of the Temple! You're a better pilot than that. What happened?"

Leia blinked, cheeks coloring. She hadn't even remembered where she was. The images had been so real... "I...I don't know," she sputtered, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Master."

Saluk softened his tone. "Did you lose consciousness? I can escort you to the Healers if need be."

"No thank you, Master. I'm fine. It's..." Leia chewed her lips. Did she dare tell the flight instructor the truth? He might think her crazy, but despite calming down and clearing her mind, the images of her father would not leave. Her chest tightened at what that meant. "I...think I had a vision."

"Oh?" Saluk lifted scaly brows. Visions were not unheard of. "Is that why you didn't correct your course until the last minute?"

"Yes Master, and I'm sorry. But please, you need to inform the Council immediately. Father- Master Skywalker -is in danger!"

"Now Leia, I realize you miss your father, but-"

"You don't understand! I _saw_ him!"

The Jedi Master blinked in confusion. "Saw...Master Skywalker...in your vision?"

Leia swallowed the rising lump in her throat and took another deep breath. Jedi were less inclined to listen to someone who was verging on hysteria. "Yes. He'd been captured by pirates...perhaps the same ones that went back on the deal on Balmorra."

Saluk frowned. While visions containing such details were rare, they did happen...and thus far visions from the Skywalkers had proven fairly accurate. "Are you certain it was your father?"

The girl nodded impatiently. "Yes!"

Saluk was thoughtful. Again, the Skywalkers could usually be trusted when it came to matters regarding the family. Then again, it could just be a Force-enhanced daydream from a girl who missed her father. Few younglings had such insight. "Do you have any other information? Such as where your father is on the planet, or when his capture may take place, or if it has already happened?"

Leia's shoulders sagged even as the urgency in her heart grew. "No."

Slowly the reptilian Jedi Master nodded. "I see. Young Leia, how can you be certain this was a vision, and not just your own emotions playing with your mind?"

 _He doesn't believe me!_ Leia's heart dropped into her boots. "I don't know. I just...please, you must help. They're torturing him!"

Saluk shook his head. "Young Leia, you know as well as any other that the Jedi cannot waste resources in chasing every vision. And even if it was a vision, and Master Skywalker is in danger, you mustn't worry. He is one of the most powerful and resourceful Jedi in recent history. Your father is well able to take care of himself."

Tears filled Leia's eyes in despair. "No. You have to help him. Please!"

"Enough, Leia. Return to the hangar and we'll report these things to the Jedi Council. If they have merit, then rest assured, they will be investigated. In the meantime, calm yourself. Fear leads to the Dark Side."

"But..." Leia squeezed her eyes shut against the coming tears. The Jedi Council knew her history. They wouldn't believe her, either. _I know what I saw. I know my father's in danger! Why won't they help me?_ Choking back a sob, the young Jedi angled her fighter back toward the hangar...and abruptly hung a sharp right. Before she knew what she was doing, Leia had pushed forward on the throttle to reach escape velocity. _If they're not going to help him, then I will!_

Immediately alarms blared in her ears. Voices, both automated and live, announced that she had deviated from the flight path and was gaining altitude without clearance.

Soon Master Saluk's voice joined them. "Leia Skywalker, why have you not returned to the hangar? Have your systems malfunctioned?"

Leia glared as she shook her head. "No, Master."

Saluk seemed to growl to himself. "Then what in the name of the Force are you doing? If you think for one moment that you can disobey a Master and go after your father yourself-"

Leia's fingernails wanted to dig into the yoke. "I don't have any choice. I _know_ he's in danger!"

The Trandoshan sighed heavily. "Leia, you mustn't let your feelings interfere with what you know. Breathe...use the Force. Wait until the Council has been told, and then-"

"They won't believe me!" cried Leia in desperation. The Force warned her to correct her course just in time to avoid the endless rows of atmospheric traffic. "Please...Master Saluk, there's no time...I'm sorry." To avoid any further arguments, Leia flipped the switch that would turn off her comm. An orange light on the left side of the console warned that the autopilot was about to be engaged. It was one of the safety features to prevent padawans or anyone else from stealing a ship.

 _I'm not stealing it,_ thought Leia as she tried to remember the sequence that would disengage the automatic recall. _I'm just borrowing it. I'll bring it back after I find Father._ Her hands shook in flipping the appropriate switches and entering the proper command into the small keypad. Several agonizing seconds passed before the orange light turned green.

That wouldn't be the end of it, of course. Already the girl knew that a larger ship with electromagnetic pulse technology was being deployed to stop her before she reached orbit. And then there would be the orbital security. She didn't have clearance to leave the airspace around the Temple, let alone enter outer orbit and jump to hyperspace.

 _Hyperspace...the coordinates!_ Quickly Leia brought the navicomputer online. Normally Padawans her age couldn't chart their own course through hyperspace.

But then again, most Padawans didn't ace every class they'd taken in mathematics and navigation. She would have to do some fancy flying to avoid the security forces, but Leia refused to doubt her abilities now. She couldn't afford to with her father's life on the line.

 _Hold on, Father. I'm coming!_

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Obi-Wan Kenobi winced as he rose from the pilot's seat and worked a knot out of his lower back. He'd been sitting too long again. His backside was starting to fall asleep, so he gave it a couple of slaps to wake it up. _I'm getting old,_ he reflected with a slight ironic smile. Of course fifty was only a step past middle age for most healthy humans, but with all he had gone through since coming under the tutelage of the late Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan often wondered how he was still alive. Some would call it luck. Of course Kenobi had no use for superstitions and knew the Force was the only reason he still had a pulse.

After all, he had survived having Anakin as a Padawan. After that Obi-Wan had figured he could handle anything.

Then Luke became his student. While Obi-Wan had nothing but good feelings for the boy with an endless supply of kindness and talent, at times he was even more trying than his father had been.

 _If Anakin turned my hair gray,_ thought the Master with a wry smile, _then perhaps Luke will scare it off of my scalp._

His smile faded as he neared the aft hold where Luke had been meditating. He could sense the boy's unease from beyond the door, and once it opened, he saw why. Luke was tossing and turning and mumbling, obviously caught in a nightmare. Obi-Wan frowned. _I hope these are nothing like his father's dreams._ He went over to try and calm the boy.

Before Obi-Wan had gone a full meter, Luke let out a cry and lurched upright, forehead damp with sweat. "NO!"

"Luke..." Obi-Wan carefully approached.

"Master?" Clearly Luke was disoriented. He looked about to see the familiar surroundings of the main hold and let out a shudder.

"It's all right," calmed Obi-Wan, giving Luke's shoulder a squeeze. "Calm down. Breathe."

Wordlessly Luke obeyed. He had learned long ago that the best way to banish night terrors was to let the Force do it for him. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths...but the images wouldn't dissolve. The cold ball in his stomach wouldn't leave. Luke knit his brows in worry.

Obi-Wan withdrew his hand and sat down. "That's better. It was just a dream-"

Luke opened his eyes and whipped his head side to side. "No...no, it wasn't. Master Kenobi, something is wrong...I can _feel_ it. Please, we have to go. We have to save them!"

 _Not again._ Obi-Wan tried to keep the knot from forming in his own stomach at the urgency and honesty in Luke's expression. "Who?"

Tears stung Luke's eyes, and he had to blink them back. "Dad and Leia. They're in danger..."


	17. Revenge

Anakin Skywalker had been in quite a few nasty places in his life. Some had been painfully hot or cold, some had noxious fumes, and still others just smelled bad.

No matter what the environment was like, the worst place to be on any planet was in the clutches of an enemy...especially if said enemy enjoyed treating you like garbage for entertainment.

It was far from the first time that Anakin had been captured. But he had liked to think that no enemy had him in their clutches more than once...at least not for more than a few minutes. It had been years since the Jedi had seen the inside of a prison, much less been a tenant in one. It would be too easy to attribute that to his own personal skill. Anakin preferred to credit it equally to his own wits and the Force.

There had been a lead about the group of pirates who had escaped judgment on Balmorra. They were said to be hiding out in the place that the infamous Hondo Onaka's group had long ago called home. Upon arriving to investigate, Anakin found the rumors to be true; there were pirates on Vanqor again. But these were not of the same cut as the previous tenants. Hondo Onaka and his band at least made a show of being polite and businesslike.

That wasn't the case this time. They had emerged with blasters drawn and, upon hearing who Anakin was and what he was there for, holed themselves up in their makeshift fort and refused to come out. Mind tricks hadn't worked in this lot, as they had Yinchorri acting as guards. Anakin remembered drawing his lightsaber to prepare for 'aggressive negotiations', deflecting the bolts, and the constant strong sense of danger. Then something had stung his neck and the world had suddenly gone hazy. The Jedi had collapsed into a dead faint.

When he awoke he was in a cell, shackled at the wrists and ankles, and fighting off a terrible headache. The gleeful bragging of a nearby guard told Anakin that a dart to the neck was what had brought him down. Rather than the usual poison it had been tipped with a strong sedative.

It wasn't long before the leader of the gang had come in to sneer at his victim. It was another Weequay, dressed much like the others but wearing a set of nicer clothes and a set of armbands made of precious metals. His knotted dreadlocks had been cropped close to his head and a thick scar ran from the left eye to the right cheek, giving him a permanent scowl. Apparently something had happened to his left side as a whole, because both left arm and left leg were crude but serviceable prosthetics and the left eye was cybernetic.

"So," mused the pirate, arms crossed as he peered through the green-tinged force field. He lifted his left leg and settled the booted foot on a shipping crate. Servomotors made a metallic grind. "This is the Jedi who made such a racket at our front door." He spoke with the same accent as Hondo, though his voice was several octaves deeper.

"You started it," croaked Anakin, who by then was just barely coming out of consciousness. "I just came to ask a few questions." Already he was mentally weighing his condition against the number of pirates and what fortifications he could see.

"We so dislike having company," sighed the pirate. "It spoils everything. But since you are here, I suppose we must make an exception, Jedi...what did you say your name was, again?"

"Anakin Skywalker." Said Jedi carefully gathered his legs beneath him and inspected his bonds. Anti-tamper stun cuffs. They sent out a painful shock if meddled with and were almost impossible to open with no key, Force or no Force. And of course his lightsaber was gone. He couldn't help but flinch when he noticed that.

The pirate glanced over his shoulder at his accomplices. "Did you hear that? We captured the legendary Anakin Skywalker." He grinned while his band laughed loudly. "Missing something, Skywalker?"

 _Poodoo._ Anakin straightened his spine and weighed his options. Escape would certainly be difficult without a lightsaber, but it wasn't impossible. It had happened before...though Anakin hadn't been alone, then. There had always been someone else around to help. Now he was on his own.

But no, he wasn't. There was always the Force. _If I could just distract them long enough to wake up a little more..._ "What about you?" he asked presently.

The pirate leader frowned. "What about me?"

Anakin shrugged a stiff shoulder. "I introduced myself. It'd be rude for you not to do the same."

The pirate laughed in derision and leaned on his mechanical knee. "Rude! As you can well see, Jedi, we are not at all familiar with what is considered rude. And what we do know...we do not care about." More laughter from the cronies. Finally the pirate brought his leg down from the crate and shrugged without concern. "No matter. I was planning on introducing myself anyway. I am Anto Bakara. The name is not familiar to you?"

Again, Anakin shrugged. While he had developed an uncanny ability to remember names and faces, even from years before, this one escaped him.

Bakara's eyes narrowed and all pretense vanished from his face. "No. You would not know the name of a man you killed."

The declaration had taken Anakin aback. "What are you talking about?"

Bakara nodded to one of the guards, who switched off the force field. The pirate stepped into the cell, crouched painfully down on one knee, and glared directly in Anakin's eyes. "The pirates demanding their fair share on Balmorra. The one with the blue bandanna was Rando Bakara. He was my brother."

Anakin, scouring his mind, recalled one young-looking Weequay in the group at Balmorra who wore a blue bandanna. He had been wounded in the arm by a ricochet and still managed to flee in one of the transports. "I do remember him. He was injured, but I didn't kill him. As a matter of fact, he was one of the pirates to take a ship and run. A shot in the arm shouldn't have been fatal."

Bakara glared angrily at Anakin. "He is dead! He was the only one aboard with knowledge of the ship, and so was the pilot. His injury caused him to crash...because of you!"

 _What in the name of...?_ Anakin blinked. Truth and grief rang in the pirate's voice, but something wasn't right. _A pirate died from his own foolishness, and his brother captures me?_ "Your brother was trying to kill me and my children. I was only defending myself and them. I didn't want to kill anyone." The Jedi sighed. Feeling had returned to his limbs by then, and he was mentally picking a path through the pirates should reason fail him again. If all else failed he might be able to push his way through with the Force. In the meantime he felt obligated to try and calm the angry Bakara. "Look. Ando...I'm sorry your brother died. I didn't know he was going to fly that ship. If I'd had a choice, I wouldn't have hurt anyone. But you have it wrong; I didn't kill your brother. Even if I did, capturing or killing me won't bring him back."

The speech did nothing to change Bakara's mood. If anything he was even angrier. He scoffed. "You think I am a fool, Jedi Skywalker, that I do not see what you are trying to do? You talk only long enough to regain your strength before you kill us all! Let me tell you, Jedi...you will not have the chance."

Anakin chose that moment to drop to one knee and go into a tuck-and-roll, pulling Bakara's blaster out of his hands with the Force and tossing it aside. He then cleared a path through the other pirates with the Force, and managed to loosen the cuffs around his ankles so he could get up and run, ducking and dodging blaster bolts. Mental nudges to the cuffs around his wrists had worse results. It was only after the explosion of pain and the smell of singed wiring that he realized the stun cuffs must somehow be tied into the mechanics of his synthetic hand and forearm. He winced and stumbled.

That was enough of an opening for the pirates to be on him. Six fell on top of him and pummeled him, pinning every limb in place. If they were tossed aside with the Force, more piled on. It took another jolt from the stun cuffs to make Anakin submit...at least for the moment. He was still recovering from the sedatives, and the fists that had connected had left marks. Now was not the time to fight.

The Jedi stifled a yelp as the pirates hauled him up by his elbows. He eyed Bakara. "What do you want from me?" he croaked, trying to wipe his bloody nose. "If you're looking for a bounty, or ransom, forget it. The Republic doesn't negotiate with your kind."

Bakara scoffed as he circled Anakin. "I want no money, Jedi. Hondo tried ransoming Jedi before, and look where it got him."

Anakin's mouth quirked to one side at the memory. "Smart move. So, what's in it for you holding me here?" Seeing the cold look in Bakara's eyes made even that small smirk disappear. "Killing me won't solve anything."

The pirate swore and wheeled around to glare at Anakin. He seemed to wish for lasers to turn Anakin into a pile of ash. "I am not a child. Do not speak to me as if I was one! Besides that, I have no wish to kill you. I cannot take revenge on a dead man."

 _Torture, then._ Anakin took a deep breath to calm the twist in his stomach. "Maybe you should. I'm not an easy man to contain for very long." Of course Anakin wasn't suicidal, but any time that could be bought should be taken advantage of.

Bakara slowly shook his head before turning to meet Anakin's eyes again. "You Jedi have patience, yes? Well, it is not enough for what I have planned. I swear upon my dead brother that you shall wish for death long before I finish."

Before Anakin could react any more, he caught sight of a syringe out of the corner of his eye. A brief stabbing pain assaulted his spine, and every limb went utterly limp. He collapsed to the floor in a heap.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Bakara's threats hadn't been idle. The injection given to Anakin paralyzed him from the neck down, though every limb still had feeling. Bakara took full advantage of this. His goal seemed to be inflicting as much pain as possible. Anakin, after he was suspended by his arms, expected the standard beatings and electrocutions. But the pirate's twisted sense of justice demanded another way. So he chose Anakin's lightsaber.

For the first few hours Anakin wasn't sure if he kept passing out from the pain or as a side effect from the injection. Either way it was a mercy. Bakara didn't do anything reckless like hack off appendages. He worked with cold efficiency, dealing shallow cuts to every joint and major muscle group one at a time until it wouldn't matter when the paralytic injection wore off. Anakin would be in too much agony to even move.

After two days it seemed to be working. While the injection was wearing off, the Jedi could hardly do anything but lie on the floor and moan. He was trying to heal himself with the Force during those rare periods of respite. So far it didn't seem to be working very well. Bakara had noticed this and just re-injured his prisoner. Any attempts at taking back his lightsaber with the Force failed miserably, and just doubled the torture session. It was enough to make most men give up.

Anakin wasn't most men, or even most Jedi. Despite the long odds against him he steadily refused to give up on escape. He had to get out, if nothing else for the sake of his family. Thoughts of Padme, Luke, and Leia often comforted him, though he knew his children could feel his pain. Would they tell anyone about it? The only other one that knew anything had happened was Artoo, who had stayed with the ship. He could still give word that something was wrong. Would the Jedi send anyone to help? Anakin didn't want to count on it, though escape without help was looking less and less likely. His only thought was to keep his children from getting into the same predicament.

 _Stay where you are,_ he kept thinking. _Don't come for me. I'll be all right as long as I know you two are safe._

Something told him that neither twin would do so without a fight.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Jedi Sentinels were often considered the loners of the order. Theirs was the job of keeping peace in the farthest corners of the galaxy, and as a result some didn't see the Temple for years at a time. Most of them liked it that way.

As far as Sentinels went, Ahsoka Tano was a bit more of a 'homebody' than her peers and liked to make it back to the Core at least twice at year. Half of this was to check in with her former master and close friend Anakin Skywalker. Lately the young Togruta had been getting more communiqués than ever from him, mostly about his twin children. It troubled Ahsoka that Leia didn't have a master yet. So she was headed back to Coruscant again to ask the Council about taking the girl on herself. Ahsoka didn't know Leia as well as she would have liked, but it was still better than most. She only hoped the young girl would be all right with the idea. Anakin certainly seemed enthusiastic about it.

But something was wrong. Ahsoka could sense it even as she came out of hyperspace. For one thing, neither child was on Coruscant. That wasn't necessarily unusual for Luke. He was going on missions with Obi-Wan now. And though Leia wasn't anyone's formal student, she might have been home on Naboo visiting her mother. Somehow Ahsoka didn't think this was the case. Her unease only increased when she was called directly into the Council chambers.

It wasn't a formal session. That much was obvious. Half of the Council members were standing with grave expressions and Obi-Wan was reporting in via hologram. A red-eyed Luke was at his side.

Mace Windu turned to beckon to her. "Come in, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka bowed even as her stomach continued to twist. "If this is a bad time, Master, I can come back later."

Master Windu sighed and shook his head. "No. It's just as well. In a way this concerns you, as it concerns the one you wish to take on as a Padawan."

Ahsoka's heart sank. If Luke was crying, then- "Has something happened to Leia?"

Obi-Wan pursed his lips. "No...not yet, anyway. But I'm afraid she's putting herself into harm's way."

Plo Koon sat as he usually did with steepled fingertips. "It seems that both Luke and Leia Skywalker have received visions that their father is in grave danger. Leia acted on this vision and stole a fighter in an attempt to rescue him...despite orders to the contrary."

"That sounds familiar," grimaced Ahsoka. She remembered disobeying many orders to save her master, or even a friend. "But then, that means Anakin-"

"Not necessarily," granted Plo Koon. "But moments ago we received a message from Skywalker's droid. Anakin has been missing for the past forty-eight hours and has left any communication since."

"Oh, no." Ahsoka felt her heart reach the toes of her boots. It was a struggle to keep her emotions in check as she realized what this meant. "I knew something was wrong, even before I landed. Masters, I don't want to speak out of turn, but this must be enough evidence to show that Anakin is in some kind of trouble...something that could put his life in danger."

Yoda nodded. "Aware of this we are, young Ahsoka. But also resourceful is Skywalker. Escaped from many pressing situations, he has."

Ahsoka's emotions wanted to argue the point, but she had to nod. Yoda was right. Anakin had gotten out of countless 'impossible' situations before, besides which the Jedi had still not recovered from their losses during the Clone Wars. Sending in half a dozen to help the second most powerful Jedi in history was unneeded. She turned to the boy at Obi-Wan's side. "Excuse me, Master Kenobi...Luke? Do you remember where your father was in your vision...who had him, or what was happening to him?"

Luke choked back further tears. "I don't know...I couldn't tell where, but I could see a bunch of Weequay like we met on Balmorra. They're hurting him..." The boy closed his eyes for a moment. when they opened, there was desperation. "Isn't anyone going to help him?"

Obi-Wan squeezed Luke's shoulder. "Your father will be all right, Luke. Honestly, it's Leia I'm more worried about," he confessed, surveying the group. "She's done something very rash and foolish setting off on her own."

Ki-Adi Mundi nodded. "I concur. It is she, not her father, who is in more need of rescue."

"I'll go," blurted Ahsoka without hesitation. "My ship isn't fancy, but she's fast, and she's got a cargo hold big enough for a fighter...and if it comes to it, a tractor beam."

"We thought you might say that," nodded Master Windu. "Thank you, Ahsoka. You'll get the coordinates immediately."

"Right. Where am I going?"

"Vanqor."

Ahsoka hid her grimace. She'd been there before, and never under pleasant circumstances. The planet was notorious for two reasons; the first, it was home to the riffraff of the galaxy.

Second, it was the native planet of gundarks. Ahsoka had only ever met one, and she wanted to keep it that way. But her heart kept being tugged toward Anakin. Maybe if she intercepted Leia quickly enough, she could check in on her old master, just to make sure he didn't need any help as the Council seemed to think.

Obi-Wan looked thoughtful. "Master Windu, if I may...there is nothing urgent about Luke and I's mission here, and we're within three parsecs of Vanqor. And Luke may have more success in convincing his sister to come quietly."

Half the Council pursed their lips and shook their heads. The other half didn't react beyond crossing their arms. None of them looked surprised.

After exchanging a glance with Yoda, Master Windu sighed heavily. "You're a senior council-member, Obi-Wan. When you complete a mission is at your discretion. Only, Luke...please don't take this as permission to follow your sisters' example. You're to help recover her, and nothing else. Understood?"

For a moment it looked as if Luke might protest. At last he sighed and nodded. "Yes, Master Windu."

The bearded Jedi Master nodded in relief. "Then my Padawan and I will rendezvous with Ahsoka at Vanqor."

Ahsoka's eyebrows shot up. _Obi-Wan, bending the rules? He's been spending too much time around Skywalkers..._


	18. Interception

_There it is...Vanqor._ Leia shuddered as she brought her fighter out of hyperspace. _I can't believe I'm doing this. I disobeyed my flight instructor, ran away from orbital security, plotted a course, jumped through hyperspace, and reverted without crashing into the planet._ It was beyond reason for a youngling to do all that by herself.

Of course the girl knew that when she made it back to Coruscant, she'd be in for an earful. Now the Council was going to expel her for sure. Her career as a Jedi was as good as over.

 _I don't care,_ Leia told herself as she looked around for any other ships that might be a problem. _Father's in danger, and no one else was going to help me._ She didn't even care about the tracking device on her belt. Every Jedi had one, though only the Council and their masters had to code to locate it. In Luke and Leia's case, so did Anakin. This was a safety measure that in case they were kidnapped or something they could always be found. It gave off such a low-impulse signal that few others even knew about it.

Leia wished she knew what Anakin's tracking code was, but in the end knew she didn't need it. All she needed was the Force. It was as good as the best tracking device in the galaxy...better, even, because it couldn't be jammed or detected by anyone else.

But at the same time, Leia knew her senses weren't yet strong enough to locate her father from orbit. _So how am I going to find him?_ She decided to run a scan for any signs of civilization. This was where her knowledge of academia came in handy.

Vanqor wasn't officially colonized. Pockets of poison gas in the caves, a lack of potable water, and dangerous predators scared away all but the most hardy...or the most desperate. Like the rougher parts of the Outer Rim, it became a haven for the scum of the galaxy. But even Tatooine was more inviting than Vanqor.

Leia didn't have long to wait for the results of the scan. The most concentrated pocket of civilization- if you could call it that -was in the far corner of the Northern Hemisphere. Leia took a deep breath, called on the Force to calm herself, and decided to take a chance there. So she angled the ship down toward the surface. Full frontal deflector shields were hurriedly switched on as she entered the atmosphere.

Re-entry was bumpier than Leia had been expecting, but she had already been through worse. After that her next priority was to zero in on her father's location. She couldn't sense him yet...not specifically, anyway. There was plenty of life to be found on the planet's surface, but singling out one person from that distance was difficult even for most Jedi Masters. She would have to get closer.

As Leia came in low and made a wide sweep some ten kilometers to the left of the concentrated technology, a sudden beeping and whistling sounded in her ears. The noise made her yelp in surprise before she realized that she had turned her comm back on shortly after entering hyperspace. And those beeps sounded awfully familiar...

"Artoo?" cried Leia, sitting up a little straighter and pressing the mic pickup. "Artoo-Detoo, is that you?"

The droid let out en electronic exclamation of both surprise and dismay. Then he grumbled, sounding like an unhappy parent who had just heard about the trouble their child had gotten into.

Leia cringed, both before and after she had managed to switch on the binary translator. Rapid words flashed in red across her screen. Artoo thought she had a few circuits lose. "All right, all right. I know it was stupid. But I had to do something. No one would believe me!"

Artoo gave the binary equivalent of an exasperated sigh, then warbled another sentence. [Did my message to Coruscant not go through? I received confirmation shortly afterward.]

The girl flinched. "You did? Oh." _Now you did it,_ Leia thought, groaning in embarrassment. _If you'd just waited a little longer, you wouldn't have had to disobey orders._ But there was a sense of justification. She hadn't been imagining things, after all. "Well, good. Now they have to believe me. When will the help get here?"

Artoo whistled sadly. [Unfortunately, none was promised.]

Leia's jaw fell open. "They still won't send anyone? Great. Looks like we're on our own."

Artoo, of course, protested loudly with a squeal of alarm.

"Of course, 'we'. Aren't you going to help your master?"

The droid gave several uncertain beeps. [Certainly. Master Anakin would never wish for you to go into such danger. However chances are high that I would be deactivated and disassembled for parts, should I fall into the hands of the pirates.]

Leia couldn't help but feel disappointed in the knowledge that she was on her own, but wasn't about to argue the point. Artoo was right. He could do more good where he was than trundling along behind and possibly raising the alarm. "Good point. Are you safe? The pirates haven't found you, have they?" The negative blat made her sigh in relief. "Good. Artoo, I need to land soon, and if the place you're in is safe, I might as well set down there. Could you send me your coordinates?"

Artoo whistled agreeably and complied with the girl's wishes. He then asked Leia if she knew what had befallen Anakin, and if she had a plan for saving him.

 _I only wish I did._ Leia hesitated a long while before answering. "All I know right now is that the pirates have him, and he's hurt. But I'll find him," she added with determination. "I promise."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Landing and finding Artoo-Detoo turned out to be the least of Leia's worries. Artoo's loyalty seemed to be overriding his sense of self-preservation and he kept insisting that he accompany the girl in her quest to find her father.

Leia fondly patted the droid's dome. "You have to stay here. I know you have scanners, but I have the Force...and you just can't keep up." She sifted through the emergency supplies in the fighter and selected a glowrod, a handful of ration bars, four bulbs of water, and a medic-kit. These were stowed in a small rucksack that she strapped to her back.

Artoo let out a sad moan and seemed to sag on his bearings. Then he gave a series of indignant beeps and clicks that sounded like an admonishment.

Leia wasn't as good at understanding binary as her father, but she got the general idea... especially after Artoo gave a pointed glance at Leia's belt. She cringed. "I know I don't have a lightsaber. But there are plenty of blasters around. I can shoot one of those, at least. Mother taught me." When Artoo seemed skeptical as to how she'd snag said weapon, Leia shrugged. "I'll just take one from a pirate with the Force. Father did say the last batch that lived out here wasn't very smart. Don't worry, Artoo," she added with a slight smile. "I'll be fine...both of us will."

The droid whistled softly and shook his dome from side to side before allowing Leia to pass. On the way he passed a small palm-sized commlink to her. She should at least stay in contact.

Leia nodded, stuffing the unit into her pack. "Good idea. Just keep it down, and don't comm me unless it's an emergency."

Artoo beeped an affirmative. He probably would have saluted if he had hands, but the girl was off at a run before he had time to tell her anything else. The droid hoped that whatever was in charge of the universe would see to it that she and his master would get back in one piece...or at least that they could be put back together.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

 _Why am I awake?_ wondered Anakin as he lay exhausted on the floor. He had heard that intense pain could make a person pass out. The only other time such a thing had been true for him was when he had lost his arm. He certainly wished he would pass out now.

The latest torture session had been the worst yet. Bakara had used the very tip of Anakin's lightsaber to slowly burn a line down his back, from shoulder to waist. Anakin had screamed, writhing in pain, and finally summoned the strength to pull the saber from Bakara's hand with the Force and toss it out the small barred window next to the ceiling. He didn't hear it land...and realized belatedly he had thrown out his only weapon. Days of torture without food or water must have fried his brain.

Bakara had been enraged at this turn of events and took it out on Anakin. The weakened Jedi was no match for him for any longer than a minute. He beat his prisoner black and blue with fist and foot before wheeling out and leaving the cell in a huff.

Anakin had passed out not long after. Now he lay as still as he could to try and assess his latest injuries. He was no healer, but if the pain every time he took a breath was any indication, he estimated at least two ribs were broken...his nose, too. His left shoulder felt dislocated, and the knee replacement from ten years before made a loud grinding noise every time he tried to move it. It must have been damaged. The cuts that Bakara had dealt the day before were only scabbed over. His head throbbed and spun, indicative of a concussion. The only place Anakin didn't hurt was his mechanical right arm.

Of course, that had been taken off the previous evening during one of the torture sessions. For the third time, Anakin would have to get a new arm.

Anakin groaned and closed his eyes. _If I ever get out of here,_ he amended. It would probably be a good idea to rest while he could. Bakara might just decide that he couldn't get the right kind of revenge without the lightsaber, and make up his mind to kill the Jedi. But Anakin had no intention of giving up just yet. His chances of getting out alive were slimming by the moment, but his idea was to go down fighting. He reached for the Force...and felt a familiar presence enter the complex.

The Jedi flinched. Someone he knew was nearby. Was that what had awoken him? He again stretched out with his feelings, wincing as he took a deep breath. Yes, someone was near...a fellow Jedi who was very strong with the Force, but frightened and desperate...and not just a Jedi...a family member.

All at once Anakin's flew open as he realized who it was. Simultaneously disappointed and overjoyed, he focused on her presence. _Leia?!_

The girl seemed startled...and very worried. _Father! I'm here. Where are you?_

Anakin blew out a sharp breath through his nose and winced again. _Leia, what in the galaxy are you doing here?_ He made a mental note to give whoever had brought his daughter to this place a royal chewing out. But there was no sense of another Jedi anywhere. _Who brought you here?_

There was a guilty pause before Leia answered. _No one._

Anakin nearly yelped out loud from something other than the pain. _You came here ALONE?_

 _You're in trouble! I had to. No one would listen to me,_ Leia protested, though her thoughts had a guilty ring to them. Her presence drew closer. _I couldn't let them hurt you anymore._

Anakin sighed heavily and shook his head. Of course his children had sensed his pain, even from across the galaxy. But they had not heeded his warning to stay away. That had been a dice throw from the beginning, but the young father was still disappointed that his daughter had put herself into grave danger. And here he was barely able to move! How could he protect her in this condition? _How did you know I was here? There are four other settlements scattered over the planet._

Leia didn't answer immediately. Instead there was a brief sense of fear, followed by the wild thoughts of someone caught by surprise.

Anakin's worry doubled. _Leia!_ Not wanting to distract her if she was fighting, he chose not to say anything else until he sensed his daughter calm down. _Leia, what happened?_

 _I'm all right, Father. A couple of pirates found me,_ explained the girl with regret, _but I stunned them._

Anakin was surprised, but gratified that his daughter could think on her feet. He sensed her drawing near. _Well,_ he told himself, _I'm not going to get out of here myself. And she's not just a little girl...she's a Jedi._ He managed a half-smile and redirected his thoughts toward Leia. _All right, you can help me. Just be careful. I'm not sure, but there must be at least a hundred pirates in this place._

 _I will._ She seemed to cringe. _Where are you, Father? I can feel you, but I'm not sure how close I am._

 _Very close...another ten meters, and you'll turn a corner. I'm behind a force field at the end of the hall. Look out; I count four more guards-_

"What the-"

"Hey! You!" The weequay who had been sitting playing sabaac at a set of upturned crates rose to their feet upon seeing the intruder. One of them fell as a blue stun burst hit him, while the other three pointed their blasters and began firing.

"NO!" Worry for Leia brought a surge of adrenaline to Anakin's limbs. He gave a great heave and pushed up from the floor with his one good arm, then got his feet beneath him. The Jedi staggered forward four steps on jellied legs before falling to his knees with a hoarse gasp. He could just catch a glimpse of the pirates closing on in his daughter beyond the red haze of force field. Anakin closed his eyes, reached out with the Force, and tore the blasters out of the pirates' hands. The weapons clattered to the floor.

"She's a Jedi!" yelped one of the guards. He took an involuntary step back, then dove for his dropped blaster. Another blue stun beam hit him as he went down. In a matter of seconds his comrades joined him in a heap on the floor.

The next moment, a small girl emerged trembling from the hall, blaster still drawn. Leia looked at the mess, shuddered, and lowered the weapon before wheeling to her right. "Father..." She broke into a run.

 _Thank the Force. She's all right._ Anakin watched with concern at how fast she was running... "Wait...it's a force field. Bakara said the charge is strong enough to stop a heart. He could have been bluffing, but I'd rather not risk it."

Leia skidded to a stop before the red haze. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing her father's condition. "Oh...I have to get you out of here."

Anakin focused on regulating his breathing to keep his pain under control. "There's a control panel on the left. I'm not sure about the code, but-" he flinched as the panel exploded in a blinding flash of light. Apparently Leia's impatience had gotten the better of her and she'd just blasted the thing. Two seconds later, the field shut down. Anakin lifted his brows in surprise. _I'll be a Kowakian monkey-lizard. It worked._

Leia peered at the mess of molten slag for half a second before dashing into the cell and throwing her arms around the weak Jedi. For a while she couldn't say anything around the lump now rising in her throat.

Anakin returned the embrace as best he could. "Shh...Leia, what in the galaxy were you thinking, coming out here by yourself?"

Leia pulled back with a wobbling lip. "I had to! No one else was going to."

"How did you know?" Anakin wanted to know. "Could you sense it?"

"I...I saw you...in a vision. They were hurting you..." Tears formed in Leia's eyes.

"I know it's difficult not to act on your emotions when that happens...but didn't you tell anyone?"

"Yes. I told Master Saluk and he didn't believe me."

"What about the Council?"

Leia replied with a guilty silence and shook her head. "No...but when I landed, Artoo said he'd sent a message that you were in trouble. They're _still_ not sending anyone to help!"

Anakin cringed. Once again his reputation as a man who could do the impossible had come back to bite him in the backside. "Well...I'm still disappointed in you for doing something so rash...but honestly, I can't get out of here without help. Just promise me that you'll listen, and do everything I tell you."

Leia nodded and smiled briefly through her tears. "I promise...thank you." She gave her father another brief hug.

Anakin winced. "Don't thank me yet. We still have more than fifty pirates to get through before we can make it back to the ship. I can't move very fast right now."

Leia grimaced as she looked over her father's injuries. "I know. I wish I'd brought a medical droid." She looked over her shoulder. "How long do you think until the others find us?"

The Jedi gave a painful shrug. "All I know is I don't want to wait around for them."

Leia chewed her lip and fished the medic-kit out of her bag. "Just a minute. Can I help you first?"

Reluctantly Anakin nodded and scooted on his backside to lean against a wall while his daughter set about giving first aid. "How'd you get the blaster?"

Leia shrugged one shoulder as she opened a tube of burn cream. "I just...grabbed it. By the time the pirate found me, I'd stunned him."

Anakin gritted his teeth until his burns had been treated. "Where'd you learn to shoot?"

Here Leia smiled. "Mother taught me."

Anakin smiled minutely in return, then yelped as Leia began wrapping his ribs. "I should have known. What about first aid?" He yelped again when the bandage was tied off and the bruises on his face were tended.

"They just started teaching us at the Temple...and I learned a little when I was working with the Healers," explained the girl. She choked back tears in seeing her father's missing mechanical arm. "Why are they doing this? Why go to all this trouble to hurt a Jedi?"

"Apparently these are some of the same band that confronted us on Balmorra. The leader's brother died...and he blames me for it," Anakin grimaced.

"It won't change anything!"

"I told him that. All he cares about is bringing me as much pain as possible."

Angrily Leia shook her head. "Blasted pile of poo-doo!" She went back to binding her father's wounds. Presently she tied off a bandage around Anakin's head. "It's the best I can do. I'm sorry."

Anakin smoothed back Leia's hair. "It's all right. Now let's go." Painfully he levered back to his knees.

Leia tugged on her father's arm to help him up. "Can you walk?"

Anakin nodded and got his feet under him. "I have to. Don't worry about me," he added. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. There's just one thing I need..." And he closed his eyes and reached for the Force. After some mental probing he located a small, cylindrical object just outside the window. It took a little bit of finagling, but soon Anakin had clipped his saber back to his belt.

Leia frowned. "What was it doing out there?"

Anakin pursed his lips. "Long story. Come on. Let's get out of here." Together father and daughter shuffled out of the cell and past the unconscious guards. They had only gone halfway down the far corridor when Anakin stopped and frowned, unclipping his lightsaber. "Uh-oh."

Leia closed her eyes. "I know. I feel it, too."

"Danger," nodded Anakin. He took a deep breath, felt the Force flow through him, and took as wide a stance as his weakened state would allow.

"But who's-"

The entry door to the corridor slid open, revealing eight pirates and a very angry Bakara.

Anakin forced what he hoped was a nonchalant smile. "Bakara...while I thank you for your hospitality, I must be going now."

Slowly Bakara shook his head, fire in his eyes. "No, my Jedi friend. Neither you nor your foolish youngling will be going anywhere...alive." He drew his blaster. "I will make a deal with you. Give me that lightsaber...and your daughter will live." He leveled the weapon at Leia.

That was the wrong thing to do. Anakin narrowed his eyes and raised himself to full height. Weakness and pain meant nothing when his child was being threatened. "I have my own deal for you. Let us go, and you'll live." A beam of blue fire extended from his hilt.

Bakara smirked. "You are foolish, Jedi. You will never make it out of here in your condition. But if you wish to fight instead of bargain...so be it." He waved his cronies forward.

Anakin's heart pounded. Something in the back of his mind told him he and Leia were as good as dead with those odds. But what were odds to the Hero Without Fear and his daughter?

Leia glared at the man and raised her blaster, flinching when Anakin pushed it aside.

"Stay behind me," murmured Anakin as he lifted his saber high. The Force continued to flood his body from crown to toes, promising strength.

All at once the blaster fire exploded down the corridor.

******************************************************  
A/N: Again, apologies for the long delays! If I can, I'm going to try and finish this by the end of the year. Chapter 18 is coming soon!


	19. Vacant

The beast screamed in pain as twin white blades slashed through left front and right middle paws; the third and fourth such wounds it had been dealt in as many minutes. It glared through yellow eyes at its enemy, sized her up, and snorted through four nostrils. The enormous red and brown gundark was missing two paws and one of its huge ears, and the Togruta had barely been nicked. Maybe it would find an easier meal elsewhere. With another feral cry, it turned and hobbled back into its cave as fast as it could.

Ahsoka still stood in a ready stance with her two white sabers held at the ready as the gundark retreated. She waited until the echoing cry had faded away before lowering her weapons with a shudder.

She had landed on the planet relatively close to the settlement that seemed to be the most likely hiding place for a band of ne'er-do-wells. It was only afterward that she'd received word from Luke and Obi-Wan that they'd picked up the tracking signal for Anakin's ship and were going to land nearby. It was nearly three kilometers away, so Ahsoka was in for a long walk. The young Togruta had not gone far before this gundark had attacked.

 _No one ever said the life of a Jedi is boring,_ Ahsoka reminded herself as she clipped the sabers back to her belt. The sense of personal danger had faded and soon she sensed two fellow Jedi approach. They certainly weren't wasting any time. When she rounded the nearest corner she found Obi-Wan and Luke running toward her with sabers in hand.

Ahsoka waved. Normally she would make some kind of wisecrack about how late the two of them were...but now wasn't the time.

"Master Tano! Are you all right?" asked a breathless Luke as he skidded to a stop not far from her.

"What happened to you?" Obi-Wan wanted to know. He eyed Ahsoka's torn tunic and the scratches on her head.

"Apparently a gundark thought I'd make a nice snack. When he found out that my bite was worse than his, he decided to leave me alone," explained Ahsoka. "I'll be all right," she added when she saw Luke's look of concern.

"Well, then...let's find the wayward Youngling." Obi-Wan led the way through the narrow canyon from which he and Luke had come.

Ahsoka had to jog to keep up. "Do you have any idea where Leia might be?"

Obi-Wan pressed his lips into a thin line. "We found the Delta-wing less than half a kilometer away from Anakin's ship. Artoo-Detoo was quite agitated when we met up with him. It seems that despite his protests, Leia decided to head straight for the nearest settlement...alone."

Ahsoka grimaced. "And without a weapon," she added. "How long ago was this?"

Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to grimace. "Nearly an hour."

Ahsoka bit her lip and tried not to think of the trouble Leia had gotten herself into...let alone the kind of trouble Anakin was in. Even at a cautious walk, it shouldn't take any more than twenty-five minutes to travel two kilometers on foot. "Well, if Anakin is injured, he wouldn't be able to travel very fast...and it's going to take a while to get through all those pirates."

"And that's assuming that Leia wasn't simply captured herself," Obi-Wan reminded.

"I'm trying to be optimistic." Ahsoka frowned and turned to Luke. "Luke, Anakin says that you and Leia can sense each other from unusually long distances." When Luke confirmed, Ahsoka continued. "Can you sense her now?"

Luke closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "She's close...somewhere in the complex. I don't know if she found Dad yet, but he's still there...hurt..." The boy's voice broke.

Obi-Wan blinked at something in his eyes. "I know. I sense it, too. But he'll be all right. Something has given him a fresh burst of strength, and he seems to be on the move. I wouldn't doubt that he's making his way out right now." But the smile he gave was halfhearted, and the worry he felt was obvious. "What you need to do now is help us find your sister before she gets into any more trouble. You did say that you and she have talents in the area of telekinesis. Can you talk to her now and see if you can find out exactly where she is and what she is doing?"

Luke chewed his lip. "I tried when we landed. She hasn't said anything to me."

"Try again."

The boy took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his sister's presence. _Leia...Leia, where are you?_

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Standing back to back with her father, firing as fast as she could at the pirates that kept surrounding them, Leia flinched when she felt the touch of her brother's mind. She had felt it only a few minutes before, but at the time it had seemed distant and far away. Now it felt close. "Luke?" she murmured, half lowering her blaster.

"Focus, Leia," Anakin said firmly, still blocking the bolts that sailed their way as they moved step by painful step down the endless corridor.

But the push came again, more insistent. _Leia, please answer me,_ Luke begged.

Leia's eyes widened as she realized just how close her brother's presence was. _Luke! You're here? How?_

A sharp sense of relief exploded from Luke as he continued the conversation. _I had a vision, too. When we told the Council, they knew we were right that Dad was in danger. They let Obi-Wan and I come here to find you._

Surprise and relief mingled at the revelation. There was also further guilt at disobeying orders... and a renewed trust in the Council. _Finally!_ "He's here," she mumbled with brightening eyes.

Anakin glanced back at his daughter as they ducked around a corner and the blaster fire ceased for a few moments. "What? Who's here?"

"Luke...and Obi-Wan. They came for us," hissed Leia under her breath. It might not do for their foes to know reinforcements were coming.

"Thank the Force," sighed Anakin. "We could sure use their help. When can they be here?"

"Hold on..." Leia closed her eyes to call on her brother again. _We need help!_

 _I know. Where are you? Did you find Dad?_ Luke was nearly frantic with worry.

 _Yes, but he's hurt. He can hardly walk._ She paused to take in her surroundings _. I'm not sure exactly where we are. I don't have a map. But I came in from the South. Dad was in a cell on the far Southeast, and we're in a corridor headed West now._

There was a pause, probably because Luke was relaying the information to his master. _Okay. We found your ships and we're going to come in from the South, too._

Leia turned to her father. "They're coming from about the same place we landed."

Anakin tried not to cringe. That was still a good two kilks away. Even at a fast run, the fight might be over by the time help arrived. He was fairly certain his limbs couldn't hold out that long. Still he nodded. "All right. We'll try and hold the pirates off until then. Let's hope Luke and Master Kenobi can be here soon."

 _Father says to hurry,_ urged Leia, throwing a worried glance to her wobbly-legged father. _We haven't even gotten through halfway. Please hurry._

 _We're coming as fast as we can_ , promised Luke. _May the Force be with you._

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

"She says they're not even halfway out," reported Luke, chewing his lip as the trio moved along at a jog. "Dad must be hurt bad if he can hardly walk. Come on! We have to hurry," he urged, picking up the pace.

"Wait, Luke, before you rush ahead," called Obi-Wan. He motioned to the boy to put a hand on his shoulder. "I realize you're worried about your father and sister. You mustn't let your emotions cloud your judgment. We'll do all we can to help Anakin and Leia...but keep your mind clear. You'll do no one any good if you're captured or injured. Stay either beside or behind Master Tano and I. Understand?"

"But-" Luke's protest died on his lips as he realized Obi-Wan was right. He might have been talented, but he was still just a Padawan. He couldn't take on an entire gang of pirates by himself. Reluctantly the boy nodded. "Yes, Master. Let's go!"

"Right with you, little Jedi," said Ahsoka with a look of encouragement.

Luke greeted this with a slight smile. Normally he hated being called 'little', but 'Little Jedi' had been Ahsoka's nickname for him since he was a toddler. Ahsoka was practically family. She was the only exception to the rule.

Together the three of them broke into a run until the shadow of a large and decrepit building- half built into a sheer rock wall that rose nearly thirty meters into the air -loomed into view.

Quickly Obi-Wan motioned to the others to drop behind a pile of rusty shipping crates before the guards at the entrance noticed them. There were two of them, armed with ancient blasters that seemed to be cobbled together from spare parts. Neither seemed very interested in their job.

Luke thought of how easily the three of them would get in and unclipped his lightsaber. He frowned when a touch from Obi-Wan stopped him. "What are we waiting for?"

Obi-Wan touched a finger to his lips and motioned to a second level that was nearly hidden. Three crude windows were cut into the rock and another pirate paced atop the roof. "Use your other senses, Padawan," he whispered.

Luke cringed. His master had a point. If they just ran in, they'd be bombarded from above and below. "So how do we get in?" he hissed. He followed Obi-Wan's nod and then saw a group of three swoop bikes hovering just a few meters away. "You want to ram them?"

The Jedi Master shook his head. "What we need is a diversion. Concentrate. Can you see the controls with the Force?"

Accordingly Luke closed his eyes and reached out with his feelings. He sensed the pirates, his masters...his father and sister deep within the complex...and the swoop bikes. With a little more effort he was able to see the control panel in his mind's eye. "Yes."

"Good. Turn on the engine and release the air brakes."

"Ohhh." A slight, mischievous smile dawned on Luke's face as he realized what his master wanted to do. This was going to be fun. "All of them?"

"If you can manage. I'll help you."

"I've got it." Luke unconsciously reached his hand toward the swoop bikes and imagined flipping the switches all at once. The rising whine of the engines rewarded his efforts, followed by the hiss of releasing air brakes.

Within seconds of each other, all three swoop bikes sped off riderless. The pirates were left to stare, curse, and blame each other before scrambling behind a corner and grabbing five more swoops that had been parked out of sight. Three bewildered pirates were left behind.

Ahsoka's mouth twitched in amusement. "Well, that's five down. Good job, Luke."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Well-done, Padawan." He pulled out his lightsaber. "Stay alert. There's no telling how many more we may encounter." After a few seconds and a calming deep breath, he motioned to his fellow Jedi and burst out from behind the crates.

Almost immediately more blaster fire began to rain down on them from above.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Leia's feelings were caught in conflict. On the one hand, she and her father had finally managed to put some distance between them and their pursuers. At least twenty had gone down.

On the other, she wondered how much longer they could go on. Anakin's burst of energy was nearly gone, and his limp grew more pronounced by the moment. Leia didn't even need to see his face to know he was in pain. He radiated it like a fire radiates heat. He was pushing himself for no other reason than a love for his daughter. Somehow, that made Leia feel guilty. _I shouldn't have come alone,_ she realized. _Now I'm putting us both in danger._

They didn't have any choice at that point. If they slowed too much, the next batch of pirates would be firing on them again.

Leia gripped her father's arm all the more and tried to help him along. "Hold on...hold on..."

Anakin spared a brief smile for his daughter. Then without warning his grinding knee gave out and sent him sprawling to the floor with a cry. His lightsaber rolled from his hand, skidding until it came to a rest about half a meter away,

"Father!" Leia immediately dropped next to him.

"I'm...all right..." panted Anakin as he levered painfully up to his elbows. Another cry stole his voice when he tried to get his legs under him. The left trembled violently while the right dragged uselessly on the floor. His weakness had caught up with him. "No...no, I'm not," he mumbled.

"J-Just rest a minute," sputtered Leia. Further guilt at making her father run while injured made her eyes sting. "Breathe," she added, echoing one of the words that Jedi seemed to use the most.

Anakin tried to smile for her but failed _. I'm slowing her down. She needs to get away._ Every breath brought a fresh stab to his cracked ribs. He thought he could feel them grinding against each other when he moved. It would be a wonder if he escaped without a punctured lung. And he was tired...so tired. His arm kept shaking until the elbow gave out and sent him down into almost a prostrate position. To keep from landing on his ribs, Anakin rolled over onto his side. Tears that had nothing to do with his injuries stung his eyes. _I'm not going to make it._

"Father, no! You can't lie down now. They're right behind us," reminded Leia, though she could feel her father's exhaustion. "Come on. I'll help you up." And she grasped Anakin's arm to haul him back up to a sitting position.

Anakin rose with a hoarse cry, but slumped backward almost immediately. His heart broke when Leia moved to catch him and nearly fell over herself. "No...I'm not going anywhere."

Leia's throat closed. "No." She shook her head against it. "You have to. I came here to save you, and I'm going to!"

Anakin sighed. "Leia...you can't."

"Yes, I can!" There was the edge of anger in Leia's voice as her nose began to run. "I'll drag you if I have to!" to demonstrate she grasped her father's good arm in hers and began to haul him backwards with a determined grunt. He moved only three or four centimeters at a time.

"Leia...Leia..." Anakin closed his eyes and shook his head _. I can't let her be captured by these monsters._ "Leia, let go...please."

Reluctantly, realizing she was probably hurting her father, Leia lowered his arm and moved back around to look at him. "I'm sorry."

Anakin struggled to his elbow to look at her. "I know you want to help me...and I appreciate it...but I can't go any farther...and you can't get me out of here by yourself...not in enough time." He took a deep breath and spoke the words he'd been dreading. "So I want you to go on. Leave me."

Tears brimmed in Leia's eyes. She glared _. How can he ask me to do this? After I came all this way, got him this far? I can't!_ "No. I'm not leaving you here!"

Anakin gripped Leia's arm. "You have to. I'm just slowing you down, and those pirates aren't going to look the other way. If anything happened to you..." His throat closed, and he closed his eyes. "Just go. Run. Find Obi-Wan."

"They'll kill you," cried the girl urgently.

"No, they won't. The leader wants me alive. Besides, Obi-Wan and your brother are close. They can help. Go." He gently pushed her away.

"Father-"

The tramp of booted feet around the corner filled the air, and the next moment Bakara himself arrived with a dozen of his cronies behind him. He skidded to a stop and held out an arm for his men to do the same. Then he smirked. "Did I not say that you would never escape, Skywalker? You were foolish to allow your daughter to help you. Now you will watch her die." He leveled his blaster at Leia.

"No! Leia, run!"

Leia dove to the floor as a bolt sailed over her head. But she didn't run. She took up her father's lightsber and ignited it. Then she glowered at Bakara. "You're not hurting my father again."

Bakara laughed. "Oh-ho-ho! Is that so, little one?" He slapped at a device on his wrist, which activated another red-hued force field directly behind Leia and Anakin. "There is nowhere to run. Do you still wish to fight?"

Leia raised the blue blade high and glowered all the more. "You're going to be the one running... when the other Jedi get here."

Bakara scoffed. "Such a pathetic ruse! But very well. If you want adventure, little one, you have found it. Let us see how well you fight." He motioned to his cronies, who all raised their blasters.

Anakin, lying at a painful angle on the floor, bit his lip at the sight. There was very little he could do to help his daughter. _Not physically...but we have the Force as our ally._ The man spared a glare for the pirates, then directed his gaze back to his daughter and concentrated on reaching her mind. _Leia...listen to me. Don't use anger to fight them. It only leads to the Dark Side._

Leia glanced back at her father with a pained expression _. I know...but what they did to you...I hate them!_

Anakin shook his head _. No, Leia. You must let go. Don't worry about me...don't worry about anything. Breathe...I can help you, but you must release your anger. Can you do that?_

Trembling with emotion, Leia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She held it for a few moments, flinched as if in conflict with something, and pushed it all out in a deep, shuddering sigh. _Yes. I'm listening, Father._

"Ha! You think your Force will help you now?" scoffed Bakara.

"The Force is my ally," murmured Leia, her eyes half-closed as she felt its power surround her.

"And a powerful ally it is," added Anakin with a nod. "Especially when it comes to family."

Bakara snarled and stepped back behind the first line of cronies. "What are you waiting for? Kill them! Fire!"

Though she was afraid for her father, Leia raised the blue blade high and sank into the welcoming embrace of the Force. It moved her arms at a speed she never could, increased both strength and reflexes tenfold. When doubt crept in, her father was there to remind her of what she was...a Jedi.

It was only then that Leia fully understood the bond between master and apprentice. It went beyond blood and tapped into the fabric of the Force itself. This was what Luke was talking about. This was why he was stronger around Master Kenobi than by himself.

Another mental nudge from Luke distracted Leia for half a second. _What's happening?_

 _We're fine,_ responded Leia, scrambling to deflect yet another bolt back at the pirates. She knew her brother and Obi-Wan were close, along with yet another Jedi. Who could it be? Leia had no time to ask.

 _We're close,_ assured Luke. _Hold on._

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Step by step, the trio of Jedi made their way through the haphazard collection of rooms and corridors. One by one, pirates fell. Others had only to see the lightsabers before they decided to flee. Only the foolish stayed very long to fight.

Ahsoka felt as if she was running blind with a child as her guide. She knew Anakin was close, but finding a direct path to him through this maze was not easy. It was Luke who led them on.

Suddenly the way ahead was clear. All the pirates, at least on this side, seemed to have either been dealt with or fled.

"Come on!" cried Luke, running ahead and turning a corner. "We're almost there!"

By this time the direction of Anakin and Leia was clear and even Obi-Wan and Ahskoa could sense both of them clearly. But then there was something else...danger...

"Dad!" cried Luke as he spotted the red haze of a force field between him, his father, and his sister. He recklessly plowed ahead.

"Luke, wait!" Obi-Wan increased his pace to match Luke's and put out an arm to stop him. "Don't touch the field."

"I want to help," Luke insisted with a breaking voice. "Dad's hurt, and Leia-"

"Leia's doing quite well," murmured Obi-Wan. Even from there the connection between father and daughter was obvious. He shared a surprised glance with Ahsoka at the growing pile of dead or wounded pirates that had fallen, and the increasing number that had fled.

Ahsoka gave a guarded smile in return. Pride in her former master's accomplishment rose, but she got into a wide stance anyway. "That doesn't mean we can't help," she said, dipping into the Force to give a hard shove to the remaining pirates.

Obi-Wan added his own power to the mix and separated several pirates from their lightsabers while pushing three more into a small room off to the left. He locked the door behind them.

Now only two pirates remained. One fled. The other, Bakara, had been knocked on his backside and sat groaning as if something had been broken. His blaster was out of reach. He surveyed the scene and glowered.

Leia, meanwhile, felt safe lowering the saber and turning to look at her fellow Jedi. "Luke! Master Kenobi...Master Tano? What are you doing here?"

Anakin lifted his head to give his former apprentice a painful smile. "You're late, Snips."

Ahsoka's own smile was strained as she clipped her sabers back to her belt. "That's nice. I fly all the way out here to save your backside, and you still call me Snips?" It became a grimace as she saw just how badly Anakin was hurt. "Just hold still; we'll be there in a minute." And she began searching the walls for the door controls.

"Dad...your arm," cringed Luke.

"I can fix it," grunted Anakin as Leia knelt beside him again.

Then, at the same moment, all five Jedi sensed danger and stiffened. Luke was to first to notice Bakara taking something out of his boot. "Look out!"

Leia leapt to her feet in time to see a small- palm-size blaster pointed right at her.

"NO!" Anakin reached out to rip the blaster from Bakara's hand. It went off and fired crookedly.

The red bolt went wide, hitting Leia in the left shoulder. She cried out and was knocked off her feet. To the others it seemed she was falling in slow-motion...directly for the force field.

Anakin impulsively reached for her. His fingers closed around empty air as Leia's shoulders connected with the red haze.

Luke, who had only just found the controls, smashed them and was there to catch his sister as she fell lifeless to the floor.

A large hole opened up where Leia's presence had been only seconds before. Her Force-signature was gone.


	20. Defeat

"LEIA!" Luke's voice was a high and strangled scream. He sat shaking and crying and feeling desperate to find his sister again, to sense her. The warm place she had been had gone cold as if his heart was on ice.

"No." Anakin's chest felt as if it was under tremendous pressure, as if every ounce of air had been squeezed from his lungs. He crawled on his elbows until he was next to Leia. Gently he cradled her head in his hand, only to carefully lower it back down. "No..." Shaking fingers brushed stray strands of brown away from her face. A horrible, sick feeling of agony a hundred times worse than torture began in his chest and spread to every limb. For half a moment all he could feel was anger and hate. It wasn't right...it wasn't fair...Bakara, that coward! He had fired on a child! Anakin almost rose to his feet to choke the life out of the pirate.

The heartbroken whimper of Luke dissolved the feelings of wanting revenge. A look at his son told Anakin that the boy was struggling with the same feelings as his father. With a snarl of rage, Luke rose and gripped his lightsaber, marching toward Bakara with the intent to dismember him.

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin's hands on him made the boy stop and look about. They were shaking their heads. For a moment Luke struggled against them, but knew that killing in revenge wouldn't help anyone. Helplessly he turned back to Leia and sank to his knees. "Leia..." Then Luke lowered his head to her shoulder and began to sob. He hardly felt Obi-Wan's strong hand on his back, trying feebly to offer comfort.

Ahsoka, meanwhile, was ripping every tool and bandage out of her medic-kit, searching frantically even as tears clouded her eyes. "Come on, come on...where are you?" Finally, her hand closed around a small device with a remote. "Here..." The Togruta then scrambled up to Leia and opened the girl's tunic halfway.

"What are you doing?" Anakin asked through a ragged voice.

"It's a defibrillator," explained Ahsoka as she stuck the device onto Leia's sternum. "It might be able to restart her heart."

Resurrected hope dawned on the faces of Luke and Anakin at the idea, and they watched anxiously. At Ahsoka's urging they had to let go of Leia for a minute and take a step back.

Ahsoka took a deep breath as she pressed the activation remote.

Leia's body convulsed at the shock, but her presence was still gone, her body still growing cold.

Ahsoka sighed and clicked the power up a notch, then tried again. Still nothing. With worry rising, she upped the power level once more and pressed the remote.

Again Leia's body convulsed. Again it went still. But a second later, she showed signs of life. Her chest began to slowly rise and fall.

Anakin and Luke lifted their heads in shock as they felt the gaping hole that had been left by Leia's death begin to fill again. "Dad...?" asked Luke tentatively, still trying to process what he was seeing and feeling.

Carefully Ahsoka pressed her fingers to Leia's neck in confirmation and pulled back with an immense sigh of relief. "It worked."

Luke's tears returned, but of joy this time and not of sorrow. Impulsively he threw his arms around Anakin's neck. "She's alive!" he exclaimed.

Anakin held the embrace as long as Luke would let him before turning back to his daughter. Her breath was evening out and, after Ahsoka had fastened an oxygen mask to her face, she began to stir.

"Obi-Wan, will you see what you can do for Anakin?" asked Ahsoka as she looked up hopefully from her patient.

"Of course." Obi-Wan gave the younger Jedi a damp-eyed smile and nod. "Well-done," he added. "All right, Anakin. Let me look at you."

"Wait..." Anakin pulled away from his old friend and reached again for Leia's face. He wanted to make sure that his daughter would be all right. "Leia..." He touched her cheek.

Leia grimaced and whimpered, clumsily covering her burned and bleeding shoulder with her hand.

"Shh. It's all right," calmed Anakin.

Ahsoka began tending to Leia's wound. "I know. Hold on."

Leia grunted and blinked, bleary eyes looking around in disorientation. Finally they focused on the face of her father. "Daddy?" she mumbled.

Anakin nearly laughed from pure joy. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. "It's me, Princess. I'm here."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Between treating Anakin and Leia so they were stable enough to move, containing the rest of the pirates, and calling in backup to take them away, it was several hours before Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Luke, Leia, and Artoo were headed back to Coruscant.

The council's reaction upon hearing the news was mixed. On one hand they commended Obi-Wan, Luke, and Ahsoka for rescuing Anakin and Leia. On the other, they wanted to see Leia and speak with her in person before passing judgment on her actions...but only after she was well enough.

Anakin, with his various injuries, was confined to his cot the whole trip. Leia was supposed to be resting as well, but once her shoulder was bound, she insisted on seeing her father just long enough to talk to him. The difficult part was getting Luke to leave either of them alone for long.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," sighed Leia, hanging her head.

"For what?" Anakin wanted to know. He was still thankful that his little girl was alive.

"I stole a fighter, disobeyed a direct order, went into enemy territory alone, and then...then I almost used the Dark Side again," explained the girl.

"I know." Anakin pressed his lips together for a moment. "It was wrong of you to come out here by yourself...but you did help me escape."

Leia shrugged. "Maybe...but I pushed you too much and hurt you."

Anakin offered a slight smile. "I was hurt anyway, and that wasn't your fault."

The girl chewed her lip. "What about the Dark Side? When Bakara came around the corner...I hated him so much. I just wanted him to...die." Leia sighed in frustration. "Why do those feelings keep coming?"

Anakin cringed. "I don't honestly know. Maybe other Jedi don't struggle so much with their emotions because they don't know their families...that's why, for the longest time, Jedi weren't allowed to fall in love and get married. But now they are. Like I told you before, Leia, emotions aren't the problem...you just need to learn to control them. And I know it's not easy. For me, it's the most difficult part about being a Jedi."

Leia blinked in surprise. "You? You're the most powerful Jedi who ever lived. I thought it would be easier for you."

Sadly Anakin shook his head. "No...if anything, it's harder for me..." When Leia looked confused, he let out a heavy sigh. It was time to tell her the truth. "Leia, do you remember when I told you and Luke that I wasn't like the other Jedi at the temple...that I had a mother, and was nearly ten years old before I started to train?"

Leia nodded. She'd enjoyed the stories of her late grandmother Shmi, who'd lived on Tatooine as a slave but had never stopped showing kindness.

Anakin grimaced. "Well, I never told you everything. No matter how much I trained, or how talented I was with the Force, I never stopped missing my mother. I thought about her every day. When I was nineteen and your mother and I started falling in love, I was having terrible nightmares. I saw my mother suffering in my dreams. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore and went back to Tatooine without permission."

Leia absorbed this information without much surprise. She'd heard part of this story already, and knew that her grandmother had died. "Oh. And when you got there..."

"When I got there, I found out she'd been captured by Tusken Raiders. So I went to find her. When I did-" Anakin closed his eyes fighting back the wave of emotion that had returned with the memory. "They'd tortured her...hurt her. She was so weak when I found her, that...she died not long afterward." Anakin took a deep breath to keep from sinking back into the depression that had followed him for so long. "I was so angry. All I could think was that I'd been away from her for so long, and then she died. All I wanted was to hurt the ones who had hurt me...so I killed them."

"Well, they deserved it!" cried Leia indignantly. "Who would capture someone just to torture them?"

"No, Leia...you don't understand. I killed _all_ of them...that entire village of Tusken Raiders, whether they had hurt my mother or not. I didn't stop until all of them were dead. And even if I had only killed the ones that had hurt her, it wouldn't have justified anything. I used the Dark side." He looked her in the eye for a long while until he saw the shock in them. Then he turned away in shame. "I only ever told two people about it...one was your mother. Even after all that, she loved me. I still don't know why."

Leia found her throat had gone dry. Knowing her father had murdered in cold blood made her stomach churn. The frightening part was, she understood his reasons. "But...that was...a long time ago," she sputtered.

Anakin shook his head. "It wasn't the first time...or the last. One of my friends at the time was Chancellor Palpatine."

Leia gasped in disbelief. Everyone knew who Palpatine had been...a sith lord who had orchestrated the Clone Wars and plotted to wipe out the entire Jedi order. To the Younglings he was something of a bogeyman; the stuff of nightmares.

Anakin cringed in seeing her expression and decided to explain. "He'd met me when I was a little boy, and gave me advice. No one knew who he was, not even the Council. He justified every wrong thing I did and kept planting lies in my head about the Jedi. I started to believe him...until he finally told me that he knew the Dark Side, and I realized he was the Sith Lord."

"But you killed him," reminded Leia, taking her father's hand. "When you found out, you killed him...right?"

"Somehow I did. But it didn't make my anger go away. You see, I thought your mother was going to die, and I thought that using the Dark Side was the only way to save her. It took more than two years before I was finally able to let go of my anger."

Leia listened breathlessly. Emotions bounced about in her head until she wasn't sure how to feel. Knowing what her father had done made her feel afraid...but then, knowing he had literally stared Evil in the face and defeated it made a pride and a hope she hadn't yet known rise within her. He hadn't just saved himself, he had saved the galaxy.

Anakin let out a shuddering sigh. "Leia," he said, looking up to find her eyes again. "I do understand what it's like to struggle with the Dark Side. I know what you've been feeling...because I felt it, too."

For a moment Leia just sat there absorbing what she had been told. Fear threatened to make her walk away. Then the love in her father's eyes helped erase her doubts. Tearfully she leaned forward to wrap her free arm around his neck. "I'm sorry...I thought...I didn't know!"

Anakin returned her lopsided embrace with his own. "Oh, Leia. I'm sorry, too. I should have told you weeks ago. Maybe it would have helped you."

"Why didn't you, then?" Leia wanted to know. There was no accusation in her voice.

"I was worried about what you might think...that you'd be afraid of me," confessed Anakin.

"No! After all that, you won," she reminded. "If you did, maybe I can."

"Leia, of course you can. You've always been so strong and brave. I know you can do it." He pulled back to find her eyes again. "I'll do whatever I can to help you. No matter where our lives as Jedi take us, I'll always be there for you and Luke. I promise."

A tearful smile broke out on Leia's face. Her father always kept his promises. Moreover, his eyes spoke more truth than his mouth ever could. "I love you, Daddy."

Anakin held his daughter close. "I love you, too."


	21. United

_Where are they? Why won't anyone tell me? Where can I find them?_ Padme traveled at a jog through the long and winding halls of the Jedi Temple. Her Jedi escort had long ago been left in the dust. Never had she felt such worry about her family.

Word had come mere hours before about the situation that Anakin and Leia had gotten themselves into. Hearing about the children's visions only reconfirmed to her that Anakin was badly hurt. Upon landing she'd heard that Leia had been hurt, too. Now Padme's only concern was to get to her family.

 _Calm down,_ she told herself. _He said they'd be all right._

Maternal instinct said otherwise. Padme did not slow until she had reached the Infirmary and nearly lost patience with the kind-but-clueless Jedi at the entrance who wouldn't let her in for a good five minutes. It wasn't until Obi-Wan showed up that Padme was able to gain access.

"Is he all right?" Padme asked breathlessly. "Where's Leia? Is she-"

"They'll be fine," assured Obi-Wan as he escorted his friend to the lab. "Anakin was in rather poor shape when we found him, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. Leia should recover rather quickly."

"Oh, good," sighed Padme in relief. It pained her to know her child was hurt, but knew that the Healers here were the best in the galaxy. Her thoughts returned to Anakin. "How badly was Anakin hurt?"

Obi-Wan grimaced. "Three broken ribs, a concussion, and several burns. Fortunately, no internal injuries. His knee replacement did need to repaired, and I'm afraid his prosthetic arm is going to have to be replaced. But he'll be fine."

 _Poor Anni. I hope he slows down this time._ Padme winced in sympathy, but managed a smile for the man. "Thank you for finding them, Master Kenobi. I don't know what the galaxy would do without Jedi like you."

Obi-Wan shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. "You're quite welcome, though it is your children you should be most proud of. Luke's bond with Leia enabled us to find them all the sooner. As for Leia, she fought as well as any Jedi I've seen." He motioned to the next open door. "There they are."

Padme smiled, thanked him again, and peered into the room.

Anakin lay half-reclined on a treatment bed in the typical patient's garb of trousers and short-sleeved tunic. His right pant leg was rolled up past the knee, which was propped up on a pillow and bore a thin bandage. His mechanical right arm sat on a treatment table while a medical droid busily made connections between wires. Leia sat on her father's left side with her arm in a sling, clinging to him and biting her lip. Luke stood next to her and held her hand but stood on tiptoe to watch the procedure with curiosity.

Padme's relief was profound in seeing them. Apart from a few bandages, they all looked just fine. Anakin was already smiling at her.

Luke and Leia suddenly flinched, as if realizing something, and turned around at the same moment. "Mom!" cried Luke in delight.

That was all it took for Padme to cross the room and gather both children in her arms. Kisses were exchanged before she stepped back to look them over. "Well, you look all right. What happened to your arm, Leia?"

"She got shot," blurted Luke with a frown. He flinched when Leia elbowed him, and again when he saw his mother go pale.

"Oh, Leia..." Padme was gentle as she inspected the sling. "That hurts. Are you all right?"

Leia nodded sheepishly. "It doesn't hurt much now. Mother...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone alone."

Padme agreed. "You're right. You scared the life out of me when I heard." After a moment she softened and smoothed her daughters' hair. "But I'm not going to scold you now. You're alive, and that's what counts." After a kiss to her daughter's forehead she moved on to her husband. "Anni?"

Anakin had a look of tired contentment on his face as he met his wife's eyes. He said nothing before reaching out his arm to pull her into a kiss. His breath tasted like bacta, but neither of them cared. They didn't pull back to say anything for a while.

Padme was the first. "Are you all right?"

Anakin nodded, forehead still pressed to hers. "I'm fine. It's nothing that can't be fixed."

"I know. You had better slow down this time," warned Padme, "or I'll have Artoo lock you in the bedroom."

"Hmm...that wouldn't be so bad...as long as I had company."

"Anni!"

"All right. I'll take it easy." Anakin released his wife long enough so she could turn around and sit down.

Padme scooted next to him on the cot and half-watched the medical droid finish with her husband's arm. "What happened? You said it was only going to be a few days."

Anakin grimaced. "Apparently the leader lost a brother on Balmorra and blamed me for it. Capturing me was his way of getting revenge."

The former diplomat shook her head sadly. "Grief can do terrible things to people."

Anakin nodded in grim agreement. "Don't I know it," he murmured. The medical droid finished with his arm, and he lifted it to experimentally flex his new fingers.

"Looks good, Dad," said Luke.

"It'll do." Anakin inspected the arm for a moment before thanking the droid and hugging his wife from behind. "I hope you didn't worry too much."

"No more than you would have," remarked Padme with a lift of her eyebrows. "I'm just glad everyone is all right. And as soon as you're all ready, I still have something to tell you all."

"Oh! Father did say something about a surprise," remembered Leia.

"What surprise?" asked Luke with interest.

Anakin pursed his lips at his son. After all that had happened over the last few days, the last thing they needed was more excitement. "Never mind, Luke. It can wait until we get home."

"It's all right, Anni," smiled Padme, resting her head on his shoulder as he held her from behind. "I don't think I could keep the secret much longer, anyway. Remember a couple of months ago when I wasn't feeling well?"

Anakin nodded, brows knitting. "Yes...why? Is something wrong?"

Easily Padme shook her head. "No. But I kept my promise and saw a medic, and...well, she wasn't happy that I'd waited so long."

That was news to Anakin. "What; just now? Padme, why-" His spurt of worry came to a halt, as if it had hit a duracrete wall. _Wait a minute._ His wife wasn't upset, nor in any pain, and she had said that nothing was wrong. Anakin also noticed that Padme had since moved his hand from her waist to her stomach and kept it there. Hardly daring to hope, he reached out with the Force...and a tiny life answered. Joy rose as a slowly dawning smile as Anakin turned to face her. The look in Padme's eyes was only further confirmation, and he broke into a happy chuckle.

Luke and Leia were puzzled. "What's so funny?" asked Luke. "Mom, are you all right?"

Now Padme laughed. "I'm fine, Luke. We're only laughing because we're happy."

Anakin's mouth quirked to one side as he saw a teaching opportunity. "You might be able to sense it. Here, Luke? Leia? Put your hand where mine is. Concentrate. Reach out with the Force...and then you'll know the surprise."

Hesitantly the children each put a hand on their mother's middle and closed their eyes to concentrate. For a moment their confusion only deepened. Then Leia flinched. "Wait...I _do_ sense something...is that a baby?"

Luke's eyes flew open and he stared at his mother with wide eyes. "You're having a baby?"

Padme had to laugh at the look of shock on her son's face. "That's right, Luke. You and Leia are going to have a little brother or sister."

Luke and Leia turned to each other, then let out an exclamation at the same moment. "Woo-hoo!" cried Luke. "Aww," said Leia. Both of them were smiling.

Suddenly Leia frowned at turned to her father, somewhat hurt. "Why were you so worried, Father? Couldn't you sense it?"

Anakin shrugged helplessly. "I had a feeling...but your mother was so sure that it was something else, and I didn't want to argue. Besides, Jedi have limits on how much they can sense. Even Master Yoda can't sense everything."

Leia's smile returned, and she nodded, welcoming her mother's hug. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We won't know for a few weeks," answered Padme.

"Oh, it's a girl. I know it is," said Luke with confidence.

"How would you know?" Leia demanded. "Even Father doesn't know yet."

"Well, I do. And it's a girl," insisted Luke.

Padme just smiled at how happy her family was over the news. "Well, never mind. We'll know soon enough."

The four nodded in agreement and came together in a group hug. If they sensed the two that had come to the window and heard the news, they didn't care.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up. "My. This does complicate things."

Ahsoka turned to the older Jedi, confused. "Why? It's not as if you have to worry about the attachment rule anymore. Besides, they're some of the best parents I've seen."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I know, but that's not the point. The question is going to come as to who's going to train the little one if Anakin is still training Leia."

Ahsoka took a moment to process the news before she smiled. As it should have been all along. "It's about time! Looks like the Council finally opened their eyes. He's the only choice that makes sense." She sighed happily in thinking about Anakin and Leia's reaction. "What changed their minds?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "A number of things, really. But the biggest factor was the connection between them on Vanqor...you felt it yourself. And, as you said, Anakin is indeed the best to train Leia in how to fight the Dark Side."

"Do they know yet?" Ahsoka wanted to know.

"I was going to tell them now," admitted Obi-Wan.

Ahsoka shook her head and turned back to the happy scene in behind the window. "I'd give it a few minutes. Let them enjoy the moment."

After a time Obi-Wan nodded and let his smile return. There was no need to interrupt such joy. His only remaining question was how the galaxy could handle another Skywalker.

 _ **A/N: And, DONE! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Those who celebrate, Merry Christmas, and may the Force be with you!**_


End file.
